Two days ago in Ottawa, the liberal leader Bob Rae made a statement to mark the 40th anniversary of the papacy of Pope Shenouda III.
WATANI International
16 November 2011
Two days ago in Ottawa, the liberal leader Bob Rae made a statement to mark the 40th anniversary of the papacy of Pope Shenouda III.
The statement, which hailed the Pope as a man who has worked to further the cause of Christian unity, went on to note that the faith of the Coptic community in Egypt has been tested by sectarian attacks against them, their homes, and churches. “Coptic Christians in Egypt have a history of almost 2000 years, numbers in the millions, and has a right to protection from violence, intimidation, and discrimination”.
The statement stressed that the Liberal Party of Canada strongly condemned these acts of violence, and called upon the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate the plight of the Copts.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Coptic community in Canada during this difficult time,” the statement declared. “It is crucial that minorities in Egypt are protected”.