Coptic Solidarity Conference Recommends New Policy Towards Egypt

Coptic Solidarity Conference Recommends New Policy Towards Egypt

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --



Coptic Solidarity recently held its fourth Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
titled "To What Extent Will the U.S. and the International Community Support an Islamist
Government in Egypt?"


Renowned speakers shared expertise and recommendations clarifying priorities facing
the increasingly marginalized Coptic community and the embattled people of Egypt. Speakers
included 81st Attorney General, Judge Michael Mukasey; Canada's Religious Freedom
Ambassador, Dr. Andrew Bennett; R. James Woolsey, Former Director of Central Intelligence;
Baroness Cox, Member of UK House of Lords; a total of 9 Members of Congress and
Parliamentarians; Thomas Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at DRL; author Judith
Miller; leading Egyptian and American experts, and speakers from Russia, UK and Australia.
Altogether, 39 speakers shared their views.



The conference included a Policy Education Day on Capitol Hill followed by a second
day at a hotel. Coptic Solidarity president, Adel Guindy, opened the conference stating,
"America could be on the wrong side of history by its continued support for a fascistic
regime that is rejected by the Egyptian people," and warned against the banality of evil.



Melia contended the US has been proactive in supporting democracy and human rights in
Egypt, yet the Egyptian government has not heeded all of their suggestions. He claimed the
Administration has to provide incentives for Egypt. Yet the Administration remains
unconvinced that withholding the aid that Secretary Kerry just released to Egypt, would
have been sufficient inducement for the Morsi Regime to protect human rights and operate
democratically.



Coptic Solidarity released recommendations from the conference. These include:
opposition groups in Egypt must unite in efforts to defeat the Muslim Brotherhood by all
peaceful and political means, rewriting of a constitution compatible with international
standards and the fundamentals of modern state, resist the newly proposed NGO law before
it curtails civil society any further, press the State Department to designate Egypt as a
'Country of Particular Concern' this year followed by measures "with teeth" such as
conditioning of foreign aid, and support passage of both House and Senate bills for the
Creation of a Special Envoy to Promote Religious freedom in the Near East and S. Central
Asia. View all recommendations and conference recap>>
[http://www.copticsolidarity.org/pdf/Summary_Report.pdf ]



Coptic Solidarity is non-profit organization dedicated to leading efforts to achieve
equal citizenship for the Copts in Egypt. For more information, contact Hal Meawad
240-644-5153 or info@copticsolidarity.org




Coptic Solidarity


-------
Profile: intent