The acting patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church Anba Pachomeus has issued a statement condemning the forced eviction of Copts from their hometowns and villages, a predicament which has reoccured several times since the January 2011 Revolution.
The statement expressed grave concern at “the eviction of Copts out of their homes and towns, forcefully at times and under threat at others. It started with the Copts of Amriya last January, then Dahshur last August, and now the Copts in Rafah.”
Even though the authorities were informed of the threats, the statement reminded, they did nothing to protect the Copts, which violated the most basic human rights, and concerning which the Church expressed its deep pain at outright condemnation.
The statement demanded that the relevant authorities should confront such deeds which sabotage State sovereignty and show it as unable to protect its citizens. It also demanded that all citizens should be granted security, and that Egypt’s borders should be well defended.
WATANI International
28 September 2012