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Angered Copts March to Break Their Long Silence

By Barney Zwartz
www.theage.com.au

April 25, 06

"COPTS have been silent for 1400 years," the banner outside St Paul's Cathedral claimed.

Yesterday Melbourne's Copts broke that silence emphatically, more than 2000 marching from the cathedral to Parliament to protest against persecution in Egypt.

More than a fifth of Melbourne's 10,000 Copts (Egyptian Christians) joined the march, stopping at the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian consulate to present petitions. It was part of worldwide protests to put pressure on the Egyptian Government to halt attacks on churches by Islamic fanatics, and to stop the cover-ups.

Sydney's Copts will march on Thursday.

"We can't put up with this persecution any more," Bishop Suriel, Melbourne's Coptic bishop, told the marchers.

"We are calling on the Australian Government to say to the Egyptian Government, 'enough is enough'."

On Good Friday, four Coptic churches in Alexandria were attacked with swords, and one man was killed. When one congregation tried to chase the attackers, a policeman stopped them at gunpoint.

Bishop Suriel told The Age that the Egyptian Government claimed it was a madman working alone, but it was hard to see how he could attack four churches in different places at once.

Liz Attia, a spokeswoman for the Coptic community, said Copts, 10 per cent of Egypt's population, faced constant discrimination and fear of violence.

The march, led by white-robed clergy, was an unusual protest, with singing and prayers in different languages rather than slogans.

Bob Thomas, the head of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, also spoke, calling on the Australian Government to ask the Egyptian Government to make freedom of religion available to all.

Egyptian consul-general Fatma Glal told the marchers she understood their grievances. "What hurts you hurts us all, and the Government is doing all it can," she said.

By Barney Zwartz
www.theage.com.au

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Who are the Christians of Iraq? 

April = Neesan

Angered Copts March to Break Their Long Silence April 25, 06

Stolen Away: Girls of Iraq Gone Missing April 25, 06

Assyrian Delegation Visits Iraq  April 21, 06

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The Shattering of the Syriac Orthodox Church! April 12, 06

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Assyrian New Year Celebrations in Iraq April 2, 06

The Ghost in the Baghdad Museum April 2, 06

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March = Addar (a's as in Art) 

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US government report on Syria's human rights March 25, 06

Turkey to Renovate Churches and Synagogue  March 25, 06 

When Islamic Laws Contradict the Universal Declaration of Human Rights March 23, 06

The Foolishness of imposing Oppressive Arab Nationalism on None Arabs March 23, 06 

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Turkish Large-Scale campaign Project 2006 - so called "The Lie of the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide." March 15, 06

Announcing the American Premiere of ASSYRISKA: A National Team Without A Nation March 14, 06

Turks' planned demonstration in Berlin stopped March 14, 06

US government report on Iraq's human rights Iraq, Politics March 13, 06

Another Priest attacked in Turkey March 13, 06

Assyrian Elected President of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences March 13, 06

In Syria's prison without cause for More than 20 Years  March 12, 06

Muslim's Blunt Criticism of Islam Draws Threats March 11, 06

An Interview with Rosie Malek-Yonan by akitu.de.vu March 11, 06

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In Turkey Assyrians/Syriacs are being robbed of property they owned for thousands of years March 8, 06

Iraqi Women Attacked for Removing Headscarves, NGO Says March 7, 06

Car bomb in Turkey injures Assyrian March 6, 06

ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS KEEP THE FAITH  March 5, 06

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Iraqi Catholics Donate to Rebuild Samarra Mosque March, 3, 06

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A Preliminary Investigation into Assyrian Identity March 3, 06

Firodil Institute Meets The Christian Fair Trade Group March 2, 06 

UNESCO funding reconstruction of destroyed mosques but not Churches March 2, 06

Christian Churches in Iraq Subjected to Synchronized Terrorism March 1, 06

 

 

 

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