A press release from the U.S. Copts Association:
PRESS RELEASE----------------FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEScathing Egyptian Movie About Copts Draws Street Protests
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Contact: Gareth Bevan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phone: 202.737.3660Washington D.C. (07/08/2004) - On July 7, 2004, Coptic youth gathered
to protest a newly released Egyptian film for its scornful and insulting depiction of Coptic faith and culture. The film, 'I Love the Cinema," portrays the trials of a modern Coptic family. However, the depiction is one of an angry extremist father, an adulterous wife, and a sacrilegious son. Other Copts in the movie include an unmarried couple whose illicit sexual relationship takes place inside a church. The film proceeds to ridicule church traditions, ceremonial rites, and doctrines.The film is unique, as Copts are not usually depicted in such major
roles in the Egyptian media. I Love the Cinema is, in fact, the only movie produced in the last several years about Copts, and its content degrades Coptic clergymen and depicts Christian women as prostitutes and men as close-minded religious fanatics. In light of the film's uniquely Coptic nature, the defamatory slurs targeted at the Church and the overtly negative insinuations regarding Christian family relations have enraged the Coptic community. In response, a large number of young Copts assembled at St. Mark's Cathedral in El Abaseeya, Egypt chanting slogans and distributing flyers targeted at the removal of the film. As the youth chanted, "Copts for peace, not surrender," "Copts remain silent, but we don't forget!" and "By the spirit, by the blood, we will rescue the Cross!"While the furor of the demonstration increased, clergy within the
church attempted to quiet the crowd. However, the young Copts would not be abated; moreover, several members of the clergy had accompanied the youth in support of their rally. Out of fear that the demonstration would spill into the streets of Cairo, security forces were called to surround the church.As the young Copts attempted to take the demonstration outside the church, clergy pleaded with them to remain inside, reminding them of prior protests in which Copts had been severely injured by police officials.
Similar fury had been exhibited several years ago, when scandalous
pictures of a former Coptic monk engaged in sexual relations with a woman were published in the Egyptian newspaper, El Naba. The unusual publication of such explicit photos, alongside various slurs against Coptic faith and culture, infuriated the Coptic community. Thousands of Copts rose in protest against the defamation of their faith and community, but several were injured in clashes with police.This unique depiction of a Coptic Egyptian family on Egypt's broad
screen and its destructive and atypical portrayal of the Coptic community only serves to fuel the growing culture of intolerance within the country."The Egyptian government continues to play with fire by permitting this blatant attack on Christianity," states Michael Meunier, president of the U.S. Copts Association. "While the government entrusts El-Azhar with the approval and censorship of all materials believed to be offensive to Islam, the objections of the Coptic church went unheeded and the movie was released," he continues. In light of the courageous stance taken by the Coptic youth, Mr. Meunier goes on to state, "We are extremely proud of our Coptic youth who now understand that they must take actions to gain their lost rights and we fully support them in their peaceful protests against the endless onslaught of their rights and freedoms."
What is worse is that any claim the present inhabitants of Egypt have to history and culture is through the Coptic Christians or those they forced to convert to Islam. The Copts are the original Egyptians (Co for Gy and it's the same word), the rest are Arabs. It's the same elsewhere in the Arab Empire. The Christians are the last remnants of the original inhabitants. In Iraq, the Assyrian Church is being betrayed by the Coalition.
Well, how many US films do you know show a wholesome and attractive picture of Christians of any kind?
Still, if there's any way I could express my sympathy with the Coptic people who are insulted and slandered in the film mentioned, please let me know.
Wonder what would happen if a similar sort of slanderous and nasty film were made about the Muslims? Actually you wouldn't have to stoop to slander, just show everyday Islamic practises of honour killings, FGM, beheadings, stonings, limb amputations, beating women for showing their ankles or disobeying their masters (husbands), child brides being married off to their 40 year old cousins/uncles, child abuse in madrassahs, brainwashing of little kids to be suicide bombers, the bloody end result of suicide bombings, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and maybe some truthful English translations of what is actually said in mosques.
Such a film is not surprising in a society where non-Muslims are viewed as inferior to Muslims. In order to prevent such films from being produced in the future, the treatment of non-Muslims as dhimmis has to be stopped first.
There have been some high profile cases of Egyptian Muslims converting to Christianity recently. Maybe this film is an attempt to pre-empt any more conversions.
Will the pope protest ?
no way to dammed busy kissing islamic ass.
the catholic church will betray their fellow coptic christians the way the eastern orthodox church was betrayed in the face of the ottomans when constantinople fell to the turkish beasts.
AI
PS
How do you go about e mailing stories to journalists from this site ?
I have a list of journalists in the UK I send stories too. One even publishes the occaisionally.
I can forward the list to jihadwatch if you contact me.
Our prayers are with you,
courageous Copts,
as you strive to keep
your faith in place
in a place where danger
from the mohammedans abound.
Let them hear the sounds
of your anger at the lies they tell,
tell them where they can go and dwell . . .
Our prayers are with you.
Why in the world is there not more publicity about what is happening to Egypt's Christian community?
Most Copts in Egypt, who must endure Islamic religious instruction -- mandatory -- in the schools, are keenly aware of their precarious situation. Many echo, for obvious reasons, the general anti-Israel sentiments -- a way to fit in, and to be as "Egyptian" as the Muslims, who for the most part are descendants of those very Copts they persecute -- people whose ancestors were forced, in difficult conditions, to convert in order to avoid the financial, legal, and social disabilities that make life so difficult for all non-Muslims under Islam. One wonders if any of them give a thought to those ancestors, or begin to question their own commitment to Islam. A new political party, stressing "Egypt" as the focus of loyalty, rather than Islam or pan-Arabism (simply a subset of Islam's Jihad), has been created.
Court Copts, such as the sad-eyed Boutros Boutros Ghali, are forced to lend their linguistic and diplomatic talents to a regime that secretly, they must despise. Boutros Boutros Ghali cannot forget that his own great-grandfather was assassinated in the teens of the past century, and that his behavior at the U.N. would be scrutinized, and if he dared not to promote Egyptian and Muslim Arab interests, not only he, but many innocent Copts -- essentially held hostage by Egyptian Muslims -- would suffer.
It is only in the West that Copts can speak the truth about their situation -- and then, only those who do not have close family members still in Egypt. But some do, and they should be heeded. If the American government could threaten to withhold $30 million to obtain a new trial, and of course a new verdict (guaranteed through the Egyptian judicial system's total subservience to its political masters) for Saad Eddin Ibrahim, then it can damn well withhold every last penny until Egypt 1) complies with its solemn undertakings to end all hostile propaganda toward Israela and to encourage all manner of friendly relations 2) ends all anti-American campaigns in the hysterical press -- which is carefully controlled (just look at what happens if someone mentions a word about Mubarak's son's prospects) 3) end all persecution of non-Muslims in Egypt, which will be determined by a committee that, from abroad, will monitor how such people -- and especially the Copts -- are treated. The ridiculous support for the Mubarak regime, which began as a confused blend of "let's pay off Sadat for his sheer wonderfulness" and "let's keep paying off Egypt becuase the Sinai wasn't enough, and we need them -- why, exactly? -- to be on our side (and how, exactly, is Egypt 'on our side'?)."
Egypt is malevolently inclined toward America, and the malevolence increases with every cent of American aid. It should be cut, and the aid sent, instead, to aid the black Christians of Ethiopia, and of southern Nigeria, and of the southern Sudan. Black Caucus -- where are you?
Hugh~ getting donations from CAIR, is likely where the Black Caucas is.
Perhaps, in the US at least, we could write letters to our Congressional representatives and CC it to the Egyptian Ambassador in Washington D.C., explaining this outrage and requesting that the US cut off aid to Egypt.
If the US witholds the 4 billion dollars in aid though, likely the Egyptians will forge stronger ties with China and North Korea. I've read some articles that claim that North Korea is building a large tunnel in Egypt, which some suspect to be a weapons production facility.
I do like the thought of giving the Egyptian aid to those victims of Islamic persecution in Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia,Indonesia, Pakistan, etc. It would be great if Christian churches around the world started a letter writing campaign to their respective governments suggesting this very thing. But as someone else said, "too busy kissing Islamic a**"
As for the Congressional Black Caucus, they are but a group of self-serving money grubbers. Don't they look similar to the former government of Haiti?