Sad Happenings...and Odd

The slaughter of Christians in the Middle East and Africa continues, but at least our president openly addressed this ongoing tragedy when he spoke to the gathering of the leaders of Muslim nations in Saudi Arabia. He didn't parrot the foolish political correctness of the previous administration, but identified the enemy as Islamist terrorists.

President Trump in Saudi Arabia

It was also refreshing to hear him scold those leaders for their halfhearted, at best, efforts to rid Islam of this cancer. Now we'll see if they actually do anything. I'm not holding my breath because in far too many of these nations a sizable percentage of the population actually support some of the terrorists' goals, specifically the universal imposition of sharia law. (See Pew Research Center's polling results.)

I also applaud President Trump's strong support for our ally, Israel, perhaps the only nation in that part of the world that doesn't hope for our destruction.

______________________

Yesterday's slaughter of Coptic Christians in Egypt provided an interesting juxtaposition alongside the recent terrorist attack in the UK. While the UK attack has almost monopolized the news for several days,  I suspect we'll hear much less about the wholesale murder of a larger number of Egyptian Christians, many of whom were also children. I'm not belittling the tragedy in Manchester, far from it, but what happened in Egypt is no less tragic.

____________________

In a related story Thomas Mair, the mayor of Greater Manchester, speaking about the horrific terrorist bombing in his city, stated: “This is an extremist act and the person who did it no more represents the Muslim community than the person who killed Jo Cox represents the white Christian community.” Jo Cox, you might recall, was the Labour MP who was stabbed to death a week before the "Brexit" referendum. The problem with the mayor's statement is that I'm pretty certain the vast majority of the UK's white Christian community doesn't support the indiscriminate killing of Muslims and would report such plots to the authorities. Sadly, a recent poll indicated that a majority of the UK's Mulims would not report suspected Jihadist activity to the police.
_____________________

I found it interesting that Nancy Pelosi, now perhaps the most irrelevant of left-coast politicians, for some unknown reason chided the president for visiting Saudi Arabia on his first international trip. She seems to think he instead should have visited Canada, or perhaps one of those needy foreign people's republics like San Francisco. I expect some in her party are urging her to retire before she does even more damage to their collective credibility.
_____________________

Greg Gianforte, Body-Slammer

And speaking of the credibility of the Democrat Party...Things must be very bad indeed when a Montana Republican, Greg Gianforte, wins a special election for a U.S. Congressional seat the day after he's charged with misdemeanor assault for body-slamming a pesky reporter. The Democrats had expected the election to result in an anti-Trump win for their party, an expectation considered a certainty after the Wednesday assault. Last-minute radio and tv ads by the Democrats focused almost exclusively on the assault, and three Montana newspapers pulled their endorsements of Gianforte. But the Repblican still won, and by a decent margin. I certainly don't support assualting reporters, even those who are purveyors of fake news, but the incident certainly says something about the mood of the country. Mr. Gianforte has since publicly apologized for his ill-considered aggression toward the media.
_____________________

Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany's Finance Minister, another of Europe's brighter lights, suggests that Germany's Christians can learn from its growing Muslim population. What can they learn? In the minister's words, “Many human values are very strongly realised in Islam. Think of hospitality, and other things like, what is there… And also tolerance, I believe, for example.” Hospitality and tolerance were certainly in evidence in Manchester and Nice and Paris and San Bernardino and Egypt and...the list goes on. Of course many, perhaps most, Muslims are hospitable and tolerant, but to deny the religious basis of Islamist terrorism is not just foolish in the short term, but suicidal in the long term. 
______________________

I have to admit, I've pretty much written off all career politicians, a class of people epitomized primarily by their inability to tell the truth. It's no wonder people are rejecting the liars and increasingly voting for politically inexperienced men and women. It's a trend I suspect (and hope) will continue. 

______________________

One of my heroes, the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen, believed strongly that the Islamic world would eventually convert to Christianity through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. He expected that Mary, because she occupies an especially exalted position in Islamic theology, would draw the Islamic world to her Son and Christianity. She will bring this about as Our Lady of Fatima, a title that has some fascinating Islamic roots.

I've always thought that Archbishop Sheen was likely correct about all this and that our politicians, as usual, will follow a much less productive course. This, of course, is just another good reason for all Catholics to pray the Rosary daily, not just for the conversion of Russia, but for the conversion of the entire world. After all, as St. Paul reminds us: 

"This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" [1 Tim 2:3-4].

"All men to be saved..." Why not? With God all things are possible.

And how fitting that we should turn to Our Lady of Fatima this year, the 100th anniversary of her apparition to the three children of Fatima. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

Persecution Update

Every so often I glance around the world and take note of the growing persecution of Christians. It's not a particularly pleasant task, and so I don't do it too often, but I consider it a necessary task. As Christians we must raise our voices in defense of our brothers and sisters who suffer because of their faith; indeed, we should defend anyone who suffers religious persecution, regardless of their beliefs. The persecution of Christians, however, should not surprise us. After all, did not our Lord, Himself, tell us to expect persecution, to consider it a blessing, and to rejoice in it?

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you" [Mt 5:11-12].

The persecution of Christians stems primarily from our doing as Jesus instructed us. So long as we obey the Lord's command to "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations..." [Mt 28:19], we will be persecuted by those whose vision for the world coincides with that of the prince of the world. St. Paul didn't mince words when he told the Ephesians that our struggle is against Satan:

"Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens" [Eph 6:11-12].

As Jesus reminded us, "...the ruler of the world is coming" [Jn 14:30]. But then He added, "He has no power over me..." And if Satan has no power over Jesus, then he has no power over the Church; for Christ and His Church are one, even in the midst of persecution. Recall how Jesus confronted Saul, the persecutor of Christians, on the road to Damascus: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" [Acts 9:4] Yes, when the Church suffers persecution, so too does our Lord.

Let's see, then, just a few of the examples of how our Lord is suffering in the world lately...

Muslim mob burning Christian homes in Lahore

Lahore, Pakistan. Imran Shahid, a Muslim barber refused to serve a young Christian, Sawan Masih, 28, and then launched into a verbal attack on Christianity. Accompanied by several others, the barber went to the police and accused the young Christian of blasphemy, saying he had insulted the prophet Muhammad. Blasphemy is a crime in Pakistan that can result in a life sentence. Even though the police arrested Sawan, a mob of local Muslims went on a rampage and attacked the local Christian community. They set homes on fire, threw acid and stones, and injured at least 35 people. Over 150 Christian homes, shops and churches were set ablaze. The authorities did nothing until the destruction was complete, and the leader of the Muslim community, the local imam, said that they would kill Sawan when they got their hands on him. Bishop Rufin Anthony, of the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi said "It is very sad to see that minorities in Pakistan are not safe and are targeted for their religion. It is vital that we work for national harmony." Read more here.

Victim of attack

Karnataka, India. A mob of Hindu nationalists raided the home of the pastor of a community of Pentecostal Christians, World of Victory Ministries, as the community gathered for a prayer vigil. Eight of the Christians, two women and six men, including one of the community's pastors, Fr. Ramesh Poojari, were hospitalized. Fortunately, in this instance the police arrived quickly and arrested 16 of the attackers. Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians, stated that this was the sixth attack on the Christians of Karnataka in 2013. He went on to say:

"Hostility and religious intolerance continue to grow and are a cause of serious concern for the vulnerable Christian minority. These believers had gathered for a night vigil, an absolutely legal act. Freedom of religion is a constitutional right, but these extremists have political protection in Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, ultra-nationalist Hindu party) and are encouraged to persecute the Christian community, particularly the Pentecostals."

Read more here and here.

Copt protests persecution in Egypt

Egypt. For Egypt's Christian community, which represents about 10% of the country's population, the so-called "Arab Spring" has led to nothing but more persecution. During just the past two months too many Christians have been killed or injured, or had their property and churches destroyed. Many of these attacks have been instigated or encouraged by local Muslim clerics. In Alexandria, for example, a group of Salafists killed five Christians they suspected of building a church. (Salafists are among the most radical of Islamic fundamentalists and believe violent jihad against non-Muslims is a legitimate expression of Islam.) And just this week dozens of Muslims threw firebombs as they stormed a Christian church looking for a woman they believed had converted to Christianity. Several dozen policemen and Christians were injured in the attack. The woman was later located. She had not converted but had disappeared for family and social reasons. Many Christians have also been arrested for allegedly desecrating the Qur'an or converting Muslims. 

Egyptian Copt weeps over Christian killed in confrontation with police

Persecution.org, a website reporting on worldwide religious persecution, recently reported the following on the persecution of Christians in Egypt:

A new Islamic militant group, which calls itself Jihad al-Kufr, meaning jihad (holy war) against non-believers or non-Muslims, is threatening Christians in Egypt, Fox News reports. According to an Arabic news site, several Coptic Christians were told to convert to Islam or die. Under Sharia law, leaving Islam is punishable by death, and Sharia is cited as a source of law in Egypt’s new constitution that was approved in December. Under Egypt’s new Islamist government, radicals have gained unprecedented freedoms to implement their interpretation of Sharia on Egypt’s streets, as attacks against Christians and their places of worship have increased while offenders roam free without fear of punishment. “This incident caught the attention of the news agencies, but there are worse things happening to the Christians every day in Egypt,” said Adel Guindy, president of Coptic Solidarity and a member of Egypt’s Coptic community.

The growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist groups in President Mohammed Morsi's administration makes it unlikely the persecution of Egypt's Christians will do anything but increase. Read more here.

I have no time to continue but, as Jesus predicted, the persecution of Christians will continue unabated. Pray for the Church and for those who suffer today for their faith.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Most of the news we're exposed to today is, quite simply, good, bad, or ugly -- too little of the first and far too much of the others. Here's a quick survey of some of the news stories I encountered this afternoon. I'll let you decide in which category to place each.
 
Planned Parenthood. According to their own report, Planned Parenthood has set several records. They not only performed a record number of abortions but also received a record amount of taxpayer funds from the federal government. This largest of American abortion mills performed 333,964 abortions in 2011. Among their clients, 92% received abortions, 7% received some form of prenatal care, and less than 1% received adoption referrals. The $542 million Planned Parenthood received in federal grants, contracts and Medicaid reimbursements represents almost half of its annual revenue.

National Religious Freedom Day. Last week President Obama proclaimed January 16 as National Religious Freedom Day. In his proclamation he stated: 

"Because of the protections guaranteed by our Constitution, each of us has the right to practice our faith openly and as we choose. As a free country, our story has been shaped by every language and enriched by every culture...As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution."

Interesting comments from a president who has taken an active role in suppressing the religious freedom of those who cannot in conscience support the HHS Mandate to pay for "health" services that involve artificial contraceptives, abortifacient drugs, and sterilization.

Nepalese Are Reading Bibles. Nepal, that strange faraway nation in the Himalayas, has been ruled for several years now by a Maoist government that is quite hostile to religion. The nation, though, is over 80% Hindu. Much of the remainder of the population is either Buddhist (about 10%), Muslim (about 5%), or practitioners of an indigenous religion, Kirat (about 4%). Christians make up less than two percent of the population. But this is changing. Since 2006 the number of Christians has tripled. The numbers are still small but they are increasing rather rapidly. Accompanying this growth is a doubling of Bible sales over the past year with many of these Bibles being purchased by non-Christians. As one Protestant minister said, "Many non-Christians have found a real source of hope in the Gospel and the Bible." 

Catholic Schools Must Teach Islam??  As strange as it may sound, this one isn't hard to believe if you've been following the plight of Christians struggling to practice their faith in Islamic nations. The story relates to six Catholic schools in East Java province of Indonesia. It seems the local authorities are threatening to close the schools if they do not teach the Islamic faith and read the Qur'an to Muslim students who attend the schools. Interestingly, no Muslim student or student's family has ever objected on religious grounds to the lack of Islamic teaching in the Catholic schools. It seems to me that Muslim students who want to learn about their faith might be better served by attending a Muslim school rather than a Catholic one. 

The Arab Spring in Egypt has become a dark winter for Christians. Remember all that enthusiastic talk about the glories we could expect from the Arab Spring that was spreading throughout the Middle East and North Africa? Well, it's turning out pretty much as I thought it would. Almost two years ago, not long after Mubarak was overthrown in Egypt, I wrote in this blog that the Muslim Brotherhood would likely assume control of the country and that this would lead only to increased persecution of Egyptian Christians. (See my May 2011 post.) Now we read that the predominantly Coptic Christians village of el-Marashda in Upper Egypt has been repeatedly attacked by hundreds of Islamists who have burned down homes and businesses and tried to destroy the local Coptic church. Such reports of anti-Christian violence and open persecution are increasingly common as Islamist extremists become more emboldened in an Egypt led by a radical government. 

Here's a video highlighting some of the atrocities committed against Christians in Egypt, atrocities committed not only by radical bands of Islamists but also by government forces. You can read the accompanying article here.

The French Protest Same-Sex Marriage. And to think I used to make fun of the French and was even known to accuse them of leading the way to the creation of a modern pagan Europe. Well, the French came out in large numbers -- well over a half-million of them -- to protest their government's proposed acceptance of same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by homosexual couples. God bless them! Here's a video on the protests...

You can read a secular news report on the protests here.

Too many bads, too many uglys. Pray for our world and for our nation.

Egypt: More of the Same, Perhaps Worse

If you've been reading these posts in recent weeks you know that I've probably been a wee bit pessimistic when it comes to Egypt's future, and in particular the future of Egypt's Christians. As the revolution played out, we were frequently told how the Egyptian Army was held in such high esteem by the people. The Christians of Egypt, however, were not quite so enthusiastic about the army taking control of the government. They are also concerned about what will follow. Over the years Christians have been the object of much persecution, resulting in many deaths as well as the destruction of churches, monasteries, businesses and private homes. In some instances the attacks were perpetrated by Jihadists who killed and bombed while the military and police looked on.

It seems these fears are well placed. The following news story by the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) describes how the army has been methodically attacking Christians since taking control of the government. It does not bode well for the future. And neither do we see these stories in the mainstream media.

Egyptian Armed Forces Fire At Christian Monastery - 19 Iinjured

By Mary Abdelmassih

(AINA) -- For the second time in as many days, Egyptian armed force stormed the 5th century old St. Bishoy monastery in Wadi el-Natroun, 110 kilometers from Cairo. Live ammunition was fired, wounding two monks and six Coptic monastery workers. Several sources confirmed the army's use of RPG ammunition. Four people have been arrested including three monks and a Coptic lawyer who was at the monastery investigating yesterday's army attack.

Monk Aksios Ava Bishoy told activist Nader Shoukry of Freecopts the armed forces stormed the main entrance gate to the monastery in the morning using five tanks, armored vehicles and a bulldozer to demolish the fence built by the monastery last month to protect themselves and the monastery from the lawlessness which prevailed in Egypt during the January 25 Uprising.

"When we tried to address them, the army fired live bullets, wounding Father Feltaows in the leg and Father Barnabas in the abdomen," said Monk Ava Bishoy. "Six Coptic workers in the monastery were also injured, some with serious injuries to the chest."

The injured were rushed to the nearby Sadat Hospital, the ones in serious condition were transferred to the Anglo-Egyptian Hospital in Cairo.

Father Hemanot Ava Bishoy said the army fired live ammunition and RPGs continuously for 30 minutes, which hit part of the ancient fence inside the monastery. "The army was shocked to see the monks standing there praying 'Lord have mercy' without running away. This is what really upset them," he said. "As the soldiers were demolishing the gate and the fence they were chanting 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Victory, Victory'."

He also added that the army prevented the monastery's car from taking the injured to hospital.

The army also attacked the Monastery of St. Makarios of Alexandria in Wady el-Rayan, Fayoum, 100 km from Cairo. It stormed the monastery and fired live ammunition on the monks. Father Mina said that one monk was shot and more than ten have injuries caused by being beaten with batons. The army demolished the newly erected fence and one room from the actual monastery and confiscated building materials. The monastery had also built a fence to protect itself after January 25 and after being attacked by armed Arabs and robbers leading to the injury of six monks, including one monk in critical condition who is still hospitalized.

The army had given on February 21 an ultimatum to this monastery that if the fence was not demolished within 48 hours by the monks, the army would remove it themselves (AINA 2-23-2011).

The Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement on their Facebook page denying that any attack took place on St. Bishoy Monastery in Wady el-Natroun, "Reflecting our belief in the freedom and chastity of places of worship of all Egyptians." The statement went on to say that the army just demolished some fences built on State property and that it has no intention of demolishing the monastery itself.

Father Hedra Ava Bishoy said they are in possession of whole carton of empty bullet shells besides the people who are presently in hospital to prove otherwise.

The army attack came after the monks built a fence for their protection after the police guards left their posts and fled post the January 25th Uprising and after being attacked by prisoners who were at large, having escaped from their prisons during that period.

"We contacted state security and they said there was no police available for protection," said Father Bemwa," So we called the Egyptian TV dozens of times to appeal for help and then we were put in touch with the military personnel who told us to protect ourselves until they reach us." He added that the monks have built a low fence on the borders of one side of the monastery which is vulnerable to attacks, on land which belongs to the monastery, with the monks and monastery laborers keeping watch over it 24 hours a day.

The monks of St. Bishoy are now holding a sit-in in front of monastery in protest against the abuse of the army by using live bullets against civilians

Nearly 7000 Copts staged a peaceful rally in front of the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, where Pope Shenouda III was giving his weekly lecture (video), after which they marched towards Tahrir Square to protest the armed forces attacks on Coptic monasteries.

And here's a video of the army firing at Christians outside the monastery.

 Let's hope and pray that this is not a sign of what is to come for these brave Christians.

New Egyptian Government Will Include "All Parties"...Except Christians

President Mubarak is gone and the Egyptian people -- well, most of them -- are euphoric. Egypt's thirty-year virtual dictatorship has ended with the military taking control, presumably on an interim basis until elections can be held. It all sounds very good -- free elections, democracy -- but lurking in the political background is the Muslim Brotherhood, a jihadist group that commands the loyalty of anywhere from 20% to 30% of the population.

Coptic Christian being beaten by devotees of Muslim Brotherhood

I know next to nothing about the Egyptian constitution, but if it's anything like the constitutions of most nations in that part of the world, it's a meaningless document, particularly when it comes to religious freedom. Many nations with Muslim majorities claim to protect their citizens' right to worship freely while at the same time persecuting non-Muslims. In Egypt, for example, the Christian Copts, who make up more than 10% of the population (some estimate 15%-20%), have been subjected to centuries of fierce persecution. Recent mass murders and church bombings only show that nothing has really changed, even though these atrocities took place in a supposedly secular state. I can just imagine what will happen to the Copts if a group like the Muslim Brotherhood becomes a "partner" in any future government. Democracy can be a wonderful thing, but it can also be a dangerous thing -- essentially a "mob" thing -- especially when there are no constitutional protections of legitimate minorities. Simply disagreeing with the mob can lead to serious problems -- just ask Socrates.

Another sign of problems to come for Christians in Egypt rose to the surface last week after President Mubarak stated he would not seek reelection in the scheduled September elections. He then appointed a vice president and called on "all parties" to join in dialogue to address the future of the Egyptian nation. Unfortunately, "all parties" did not apparently include the Christian minority. Although the Copts are being excluded from this dialogue, it would seem that representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood will take part. This does not bode well for the courageous Christians of Egypt.

For details on all of this, click here: Egypt's Christians Excluded

Plight of Christians in Egypt...and other news.

There are already some early indications that the future of Egypt may mirror what we have already seen in Iran as radical Islamists position themselves to become a major force in any evolving government.

US Supports a Government Role for Muslim Brotherhood. And guess who's getting the most attention in Egypt these days, and even being talked about as a coalition partner in any new government? You guessed it, the Muslim Brotherhood. Allowing this long-time terrorist organization to have even a single seat in a future Egyptian government would be a serious mistake, one that would lead to disastrous consequences. And yet, according to the LA Times, "The Obama administration said for the first time that it supports a role for groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned Islamist organization, in a reformed Egyptian government." Why would the United States condone the inclusion of this large, international terrorist organization in a future Egyptian government? These guys are really bad news. Just check out their catchy motto:

Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.

The Brotherhood's hatred of Israel, Jews in general, and all of Western civilization, is almost palpable. And their stated goal is to bring the entire world under Islamic law. They also hate Christians and have encouraged attacks on them and their churches. Here's an example from this week...

Coptic Families Murdered in Egypt. the midst of the current chaos in Egypt, a group of Islamists decided to take advantage of the lack of police protection and attack their neighbors, who happened to be Coptic Christians. In Maghagha in Upper Egypt, 11 members of two Coptic Christian families were murdered in their homes. Aided by the Copts' Muslim neighbors, the attackers entered the homes through the roof of each house. The dead include several children, aged three, four, eight and fifteen. Four others were badly wounded in the attack.

According to the local Coptic bishop, Anba Agathon, "The two families were staying in their homes with their doors locked when suddenly the Islamists descended on them killing eleven and leaving for dead four other family members. In addition, they looted everything that was in the two Coptic houses, including money, furniture and electrical equipment. They also looted livestock and grain." The bishop also named the men, neighbors of the victims, who led the two groups of attackers and called on the police to arrest them. But, as one Coptic activist stated, "Why have those Islamists chosen those two Coptic families and not Muslim ones to slaughter and rob? I believe it is because they know that with Copts they can literally get away with murder."

For more on this story, read: Muslims Attack Two Christian Families

In other news, did you hear about the decision of the French Constitutional Council, France's highest court when it comes to constitutional issues? It ruled in favor of defining marriage in terms of traditional marriage; that is, as between a man and a woman. Amazing isn't it? While our courts are doing all in their power to destroy marriage, the French are actually upholding it. Of course, the advocates of same-sex marriage will no doubt appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, a court that has never been too fond of things traditional...or moral. Pray that they will come to their senses on this one. Read more here: French High Court Affirms Traditional Marriage

And on the pro-life front, Planned Parenthood has once again shown its true colors. A man and a woman, posing as a pimp and prostitute, made a secret video of their visit to a Planned Parenthood "clinic" in New Jersey. During the course of their conversation with the PP office manager, they mentioned that they "managed" a group of underage (14 and 15 year-old girls) prostitutes who didn't speak English. When they asked the PP manager about treatment of the girls for sexually transmitted diseases, she told them, "Minors are always accepted without parental consent," but then warned them to be careful because, "if they are a minor we are obligated if we hear certain information." You won't believe what else she told them. Yes, there's more, a lot more...all of it proving how despicable an organization Planned Parenthood is. Read it all here: Planned Parenthood Abets Sex Trafficking.

Pray for our nation, brothers and sisters...

The Future of Christians in the Middle East

A few days ago, writing about the continued unrest in Egypt, I made the comment that as a result of the political changes that will inevitably take place, "Sadly, I believe we can also expect increased persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East." [Egypt on the Brink - 11/28/11] I hope I am wrong, but new information out of Egypt and Europe seems to support this unwanted outcome.

For example, Egypt's Coptic Christians, who make up 10% of Egypt's population of 80 million, are not at all optimistic about their future in an Egypt led by someone other than President Hosni Mubarak. From the perspective of the Copts, Mubarak might not have always been a friend, but he was generally protective of their community and had aggressively prosecuted Islamist terrorists. Their concern is that the next government will either turn to groups like the Muslim Brotherhood for political support, or even include such groups in a coalition. Most likely such a government would be far less protective of the nation's Christians, leading to increased persecution. 

On Monday, Coptic Pope Shenouda III (photo at left) publicly supported President Mubarak on Egyptian state television: "We have called the president and told him we are all with you and the people are with you." Given the nature of the recent deadly attacks on Coptic communities that have taken dozens of lives, one can certainly understand their concerns. Although the protests seem to have almost exclusively secular aims, aims that the Copts also support -- free elections, economic freedom, elimination of state corruption, an economy that creates employment, democratic rights -- the Copts worry that amid the potential political chaos Egypt may end up with a government that has little respect for these aims. I believe their biggest fear is that sooner or later the Muslim Brotherhood will take control. [You can read more in this Wall Street Journal article: Coptic Christians Worry about Future without Mubarak]

Another report, this one out of Europe, addresses the status of Christians in the Middle East and claims that they are in danger of becoming extinct due to the greatly increased violence directed at them by Muslim extremists. The report was issued in the form of a recommendation adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Condemning the recent mass murders of Christians in both Iraq and Egypt, the Assembly stressed that these attacks, symptomatic of the growing violence against Christians, will ultimately lead to the large scale emigration of Christians from homelands which they have inhabited continuously for 2,000 years. Indeed, this emigration is already well underway.

It is heartening to note that the Assembly went on to call on its members to take a number of positive actions. And yet, at the same time, one senses that there is little likelihood the Council of Europe's 47 member states will actually do anything about this crisis. Although the recommendation passed overwhelmingly -- 125 to 9, with 13 abstentions -- like most recommendations from multinational organizations, it has no teeth, no real means of enforcement. By the way, the Turkish delegation was responsible for 7 of the 9 negative votes, and was the only delegation that failed to support the Recommendation. They were apparently upset that the Recommendation included a paragraph urging the Turkish government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the interruption of the celebration of Christmas Masses in Northern Cyprus. How sad that for some the truth is always perceived as an insult.

You can read the full text of the Assembly's Recommendation here: Violence against Christians in the Middle East

...or you can just read an overview of the Recommendation. This page also includes links to details on the Assembly's actions relating to this issue: Christian communities could disappear from the Middle East.