Christians United Against Religious Persecution

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مسيرة وصلوات في النمسا حدادا على أرواح الشهداء الأقباط في مصر

About twelve thousand persons, representing different Christian churches and religious communities, united in a demonstration against the massacre of Copts in Maspiro on past October 9 2011 where 27 Coptic Christians were killed and over 300 were injured after the Egyptian military shot them and drove with APCs over them, and against the oppression of the Copts in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The demonstration was held in the center of Vienna on Friday October 21 2011 afternoon. The demo was led by the Cardinal of the Austrian Catholic Church Dr. Christoph Schönborn and the Coptic Bishop in Austria, Anba Gabriel, and many representatives of other Christian religious groups came from Vienna as well as from different Austrian cities and towns. The march began from before the Opera, followed the Ring Street through Ballhausplatz before of the Hofburg, the residency of Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Mr. Faymann, and stopped in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where a final prayer of mourning took place outside and inside the Cathedral. (Click once on the small picture to make it bigger).

The demonstrators carried a model of a coffin covered with black, and raised wooden crosses flowers and a several signs representing their demands. They chanted for the freedom of worship and demanded that the Egyptian authorities stop the violence, persecution, and massacres against the Coptic minority in Egypt. They chanted asking if the life of Christians is worth nothing, claimed that the Copts in Egypt were guilty ONLY because they are Christians, and that because of this, extremist Muslims were causing them troubles without end. They raised signs which demand an end to the kidnapping of Coptic girls who are forcibly converted to Islam and married with Muslims.

A prayer was held at St. Stephen’s square and another one inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, in which Cardinal Schönborn invited Bishop Anba and all religious group representatives to join in the prayers for the Christian victims who were killed by unjust violence in Egypt. After the first prayed ended, Cardinal Schönborn and Bishop Anba prayed inside Stephen’s Cathedral and lightened candles for in the memory of and blessing the Christian martyrs.

The Coptic Bishop in Austria, Anba Gabriel, stated during a press conference held on last October 17 2011 at the Church of the Virgin Mary, that over 100.000 Copts are known to have emigrated from Egypt because of the religious oppression.

It should be noted here that on October 11 2011 the Egyptian authorities executed Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, also known as Al-Kmoni, at the Arab tower jail West of Alexandria. Al-Kmoni was accused of carrying out the terrorist murders of Nag Hammadi against Coptic Christians on past January 6 2010 during the celebration of Christmas.

Regarding the massacre of last 11 October, the Egyptian military claims that they reacted to people among the Coptic demonstrators who captured, disarmed and burnt several military personnel in a car. (Please Click here to see the film), the Copts deny responsibility for this and claimed that the Egyptian military shot them and drove with APCs over them. (Please Click here to see the film). It is possible that this is the work of provocateurs infiltrated into the demo working for parties interested in maintaining sectarian tensions.

I sent several questions to the Egyptian Embassy in Vienna asking them for a statement  regarding the problems around the Coptic community and the demo of today, but they have chosen to remain silent on the demo of today and the serious accusations against the Egyptian Authorities.

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3 comments to Christians United Against Religious Persecution

  • Richard Waid

    Kawther, thank you for this post. I read you with fair regularity, and applaud your work. I am an American Catholic, anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian, who is convinced moreover that the Zionists did 9-11 (in collaboration with Cheney and other American bad guys) and that Israel is a millstone around America’s neck. A number of my friends, including some with many more contacts and who have traveled, as I have not, in the Arab and Muslim countries, are of the view (although they are not themselves Muslims) that worldwide, although no nationality or faith is lacking in good people and bad, an admirable number of the people who live moderately and do the right thing, most of the time, are Muslims. One thing that troubles many here in the West who are otherwise disposed to friendship with Muslims is that the tradition, undeniably I think, envisions that Muslims must strive to control anyplace they live, and to reduce non-Muslims to barely-tolerated, minority status with limited rights. So long as this is the view of many Muslims, sympathy for the Palestinians will not flower fully in the West, as many will view the situation as one in which the Jews, not one bit to their credit, do no worse to the Palestinians than the latter, or at least the majority of them who are Muslims, aspire to do to us Christians once Islam begins to achieve majority status, as it very well may, in parts of Europe. I accept as true a great range of criticisms against the way of life as lived at present in Europe and in North America, but I believe Islam must compete for adherents on the strength of its ideas and the example shown by its faithful. Does God need “defenders”? I suspect not; He needs witnesses. And Palestinians and Egyptians have, I think, an especially important role to play, as both countries have Christian minorities, and many Muslims no doubt who regard them as compatriots, and not so much as infidels. It is on this terrain, I feel, that Islam must make some accommodation to modernity. We realize truth more or less fully only when we recognize that, however convinced we are of religious truth, we are humble enough to see that we are not immune from error. These observations are made fraternally; I am an admirer of your courage, your patriotism, and your writing. Thank you.

  • ماري عطية

    عزيزتى كوثر

    اشكرك مره اخرى على متابعة اخبار الأقباط
    ارجو ارفاق هذا التعليق أعلى المواقع التى ارسلتها سابقا حتى يكون القارئ فكره واضحه عن المذبحه علما بأننى اوردت فقط بعض وليس كل آراء شرفاء المسلمين المتنورين فى مصر
    طبعا لو امكن ترجمتها الى الانجليزيه ووضعها فى الجانب الانجليزى فذلك يكون جيدا ان استطعت

    انا على استعداد للرد على اى تعليق مضاد وان كانت المقالات التى كتبت واشرت اليها تغنى عن اى دفاع والحمد لله مصر بخير فليست كل العقول مريضه

    شكرا وسلام
    مارى عطيه

    الأستاذه كوثر سلام

    بعد التحيه
    شكرا جزيلا لك لتغطية أحدث مسيرة للأقباط إحتجاجا على الإضطهاد المنظم الذى يتعرضون له فى وطنهم مصر
    أيضا جزيل الشكر للكثير من الشرفاء الذين ساندوا إخوتهم فى المحنه التى سوف يجتازها وطننا بإذن الله

    لقد تعرض الأقباط منذ بداية هذا العام فقط وحتى الآن للكثير من الإعتداءات والمذابح فمنذ تفجير كنيسة القديسين (22 شهيدا)بالأسكندريه فى بداية العام وحتى الأن تتصاعد الأمور سوءا ويغيب القانون عمدا حتى كانت مذبحة ماسبيرو الأخيرة التى دفع فيها الأقباط 27 شهيدا قتلا بالرصاص أودهسا تحت مدرعات الجيش أو ذبحا بالسيف! وكل ذنبهم انهم إحتجوا على هدم الكنيسة الرابعه منذ تولى المجلس العسكرى إدارة شئون مصر

    لقد صدمت صور المتظاهرين العزل الذين طاردتهم ودهستهم مدرعات الجيش المصرى ، حكومات وشعوب العالم فرفضها كل من يؤمن بالأنسانية حتى وجد المجلس العسكرى نفسه فى مأزق فدعى إلى عقد مؤتمر صحفى اذاع فيه مايروق له من مقتطفات مصوره ثم أعاد إذاعته من خلال تليفزيون الدوله التحريضى الطائفى بعد عمل المونتاج وحذف اسئلة الصحفيين الانتقاديه ! محاولا تبرئة نفسه ومصادرة اى أحكام عادلة، وكيف ننتوقع العدل وهذا المجلس المتهم يحقق بنفسه فى القضيه! اى انه المتهم والقاضى معا! مهزلة تتواصل مع مهازل مبارك بل وتتفوق عليها

    إن الأقباط (حوالى 20 مليون قبطى حسب تصريح د. نبيل شرف الدين) مواطنين أصلاء تسرى فى عروقهم دماء قدماء المصريين العظماء، قبلوا المسيحيه على يد مرقص الرسول الذى
    تقدست مصر به مبشرا مسالما منفردا بلا سلاح او عتاد فاستشهد سحلا فى شوارع الإسكندريه
    وهكذا كما استشهد مبشر مصر العظيم لايزال الأقباط يستقبلون الأستشهاد المسيحى بإيمان عميق وثبات وصبر ناظرين للمستقبل بكل التفاؤل وبأن مصر للمسيح

    ومما يدعونا للتفاؤل ايضا هو تنامى الوعى الوطنى بشكل قوى بعد مذبحة ماسبيرو الأخيره، فإرتفع صوت نخبة المجتمع الثقافى فى مصر ضد خطر التطرف الوهابى الذى يسعى للعودة بمصر لعصور الغزوات والغنائم الهمجيه، وان يشهد ميدان التحرير الذى شهد ولادة الثورة من اجل الحرية، يشهد قطع الرؤس والأيدى (والأذن!!) والرجم والجلد الشرعى، وأن يتعايش أولادنا وأحفادنا مع البربرية القادمة من جاهلية البادية

    أن مصر ثارت ولاعودة للوراء فالحضارة تحت جلودنا منذ آلاف السنين والبقاء للتقدم والاعتدال والديمقراطية ، حتى لو دفع الأقباط الثمن من دمائهم الطاهرة فكل غال يحسب رخيصا من أجل مصر المدنيه القادمة بالأمل والحضارة

    أستاذه كوثر سلام

    آمل ان تجدى وايضا السادة القراء الوقت للإطلاع على المواقع المرفقة بهذا التعليق حتى تتأكدى مما تقدم فى تعليقى ، وأن مصر باقية منارة للتجديد والفكر المتحرر

    تقرير التليفزيون النمساوى عن مظاهرة الاقباط فى 21 اكتوبر 2011
    http://tvthek.orf.at/programs/70018-Wien-heute

    تقرير الطب الشرعى عن شهداء ماسبيرو
    http://www.dostor.org/society-and-people/variety/11/october/22/58909

    آراء د. علاء الأسوانى فى مذبحة ماسبيرو
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFNttgzGkU&feature=player_embedded
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaBCnfKgeR8&feature=player_embedded
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oudVyeIr0_w&feature=player_embedded

    مقال الآستاذة فريده الشوباشى فى المصرى اليوم عن الطالب الشهيد القبطى الذى قتل بسبب ارتدا الصليب (بعد مذبحة ماسبيرو(
    http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/506713

    فيديو سحل الجيش وضربه لأحد العزل من الأقباط
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyc4XLJq1bM&feature=player_embedded&skipcontrinter=1
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3TwM-N7XFo

    لمصر لاللأقباط ..عادل حموده (ومقالت أخرى(
    http://www.elfagr.org/Detail.aspx?nwsId=73147&secid=18&vid=2

    عبد الفتاح على ..إضطهاد الأقباط فى مصر ..مسلسل مستمر
    http://www.elfagr.org/Detail.aspx?nwsId=71219&secid=18&vid=2

    خالد حنفى..حاكموا الشاويش اسامه هيكل بتهمة التحريض على قتل الأقباط
    http://www.elfagr.org/Detail.aspx?nwsId=71934&secid=18&vid=2

    ما حدث يوم الأحد الماضي‏!‏أحمد عبد المعطى حجازى
    http://www.ahram.org.eg/Print.aspx?ID=106366

    نوارة نجم ..مقالات عديدة
    http://tahrirnews.com/?post_type=authors&p=165

    الحوار المتمدن .. سيد القمنى ..غزوة ماسبيروالمباركه
    http://tahrirnews.com/?post_type=authors&p=165

  • Salaam al-Maseeh, Ms. Mary Attia,

    The great leaders of the Coptic Christian profession of faith from St. Mark to St. Anthony of the Desert to St. Athanasius stood unbowed by persecution. You stand bravely in their footsteps.

    May God deliver you from all tribulation and persecution.

    God bless you.

    Mary’s gift
    October 23rd, 2011 at 23:20:29 • Reply

    Dear Kausar

    Thank you again to follow up on Coptic News
    Please attach this comment top sites previously sent so that the reader a clear idea about the massacre that I have reported only some but not all opinions are honest enlightened Muslims in Egypt
    Of course, if possible, translated into English and put them in the English side it is well that you can

    I’m ready to respond to any comments that were anti-articles, which I have written and sung to it of any defense, thank God, Egypt, okay, not all minds patient

    Thank you and peace
    Mary Attia

    Ms. Kausar peace

    After greeting
    Thank you very much for the latest coverage of the march of the Copts protest against the systematic oppression they experience in their homeland Egypt
    Also thank the many honest people who supported their brothers in the tribulation, which will be passed through our home, God willing,

    We have been Christians since the beginning of this year alone, and even now many of the attacks and massacres since the bombing of the Church of Saints (22 martyrs) in Alexandria at the beginning of the year until now escalate matters worse and miss the law intentionally, even the massacre of Maspero’s recent push by the Copts 27 martyrs were shot dead Odhsa under armor army or slaughtered by the sword! And all their fault that they protested against the demolition of the church the fourth since the military took over management of the affairs of Egypt

    I was shocked by images of unarmed demonstrators who were chased and crushed by armored Egyptian army, governments and peoples of the world Its refusal to everyone who believes in humanity until he found the military itself in a dilemma and he was called to hold a press conference broadcast the Mirouk him of extracts cameraman and then re-broadcast by state television inciting sectarian after work editing and deleting critical reporters’ questions! Trying to exonerate himself and the confiscation of any provisions of the fair, and how Nntoqa Justice and the Council to achieve the accused himself in case! That any of the accused and the judge together! Continue with the farce of farces Mubarak and even surpass them

    The Copts (about 20 million Coptic d according to a statement. Nabil Sharaf al-Din) shall apply to citizens of counties in their veins the blood of the great ancient Egyptians, they accepted Christianity by the apostle Mark, who
    Egypt sanctified by promising a peaceful solo without weapons or equipment martyred in Alexandria streets behind a horse
    Thus, also cited the great missionary to Egypt Copts still receive martyrdom deep Christian faith, perseverance and patience of beholders for the future with optimism and that the Egypt to Christ

    It is reason for optimism, also is a growing national consciousness in the forces after the massacre of Maspero last, rising voice of elite cultural community in Egypt against the threat of extremist Wahhabi who seek a return to Egypt for centuries of invasions and spoils barbarism, and that the witness Tahrir Square, which witnessed the birth of the revolution for freedom, see cut, cooler heads and hands (and ears!), stoning and flogging legitimate, and that our children and grandchildren live with barbaric ignorance coming from the desert

    Egypt is raised and no return to civilization under our skin back thousands of years ago and survival of the progress, moderation and democracy, even if the Copts pay the price of their blood pure cheap Every gal is calculated for the next Civil Egypt hope and civilization

    Teacher Kausar peace

    I hope the little ones and also the gentlemen readers time to view the sites attached to this so make sure to comment the above in my comment, and that Egypt remains a beacon of liberal thought and renewal

    Austrian TV report about a demonstration of Copts in the October 21, 2011
    http://tvthek.orf.at/programs/70018-Wien-heute

    Forensic report for the martyrs of Maspero.
    http://www.dostor.org/society-and-people/variety/11/october/22/58909

    D views. Massacre in Alaa Al Aswany Maspero
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFNttgzGkU&feature=player_embedded
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaBCnfKgeR8&feature=player_embedded
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oudVyeIr0_w&feature=player_embedded

    Article by Professor Farideh Shoubashi today in the Egyptian Coptic martyr for the student who was killed defected because of the cross (after the massacre of Maspero (
    http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/506713

    Video rid of the army and beat him to a segregation of the Copts
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyc4XLJq1bM&feature=player_embedded&skipcontrinter=1
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3TwM-N7XFo

    To Egypt to Allokabbat .. Adel Hammouda (and other Mqalt (
    http://www.elfagr.org/Detail.aspx?nwsId=73147&secid=18&vid=2

    Abdel-Fattah on .. persecution of Copts in Egypt .. a continuous series
    http://www.elfagr.org/Detail.aspx?nwsId=71219&secid=18&vid=2

    Khaled Hanafy .. Impeach Osama Shawish structure for inciting the murder of Copts
    http://www.elfagr.org/Detail.aspx?nwsId=71934&secid=18&vid=2

    What happened on Sunday! Ahmed Abdel Muti Hijazi
    http://www.ahram.org.eg/Print.aspx?ID=106366

    Nawara star .. many articles
    http://tahrirnews.com/?post_type=authors&p=165

    Civilized dialogue .. Sayyed al .. Battle Maspiroalambarkh
    http://tahrirnews.com/?post_type=authors&p=165

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