مــايــكل مــنير و القضيه القبطيه

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U.S. COPTS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT TO SPEAK ON EGYPTIAN INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION CHANNEL DREAM 2



Washington, D.C. (9/27/05)—U.S. Copts Association President Michael Meunier will on Tuesday, September 27 give a live interview on Dream 2 Egyptian television network. Mr. Meunier will discuss the upcoming second annual International Coptic Conference on Democracy in Egypt, to be held in Washington, D.C.



Mr. Meunier will appear as the special guest on the popular Dream 2 live television program “Al-‘Asherah Messa.” Mr. Meunier will call in to the program for a one-hour interview discussing the International Coptic Conference on Democracy in Egypt. The Washington, D.C. conference will convene noted scholars, human rights activists, and U.S. lawmakers to discuss the challenges of democratization facing Egyptians of all religious and cultural backgrounds.



“I am pleased to once again represent the world Coptic community on an internationally-broadcast network such as Dream 2,” said Mr. Meunier. “We hope that by effectively harnessing the power of Egyptian and international media, we can continue drawing the world’s attention to important issues—such as democracy in Egypt—affecting Egyptians of every background.



Mr. Meunier’s interview will air Tuesday, September 27 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (10 PM Egyptian Standard Time) on the Dream 2 television network.


http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=776

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U.S. COPTS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT TO APPEAR JANUARY 19, 2006 ON AL-HURRA INTERNATIONAL SATELLITE TV


Washington, D.C. (1/18/06)— U.S. Copts Association President Michael Meunier will appear live Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (8:00 PM Egypt) on al-Hurra international satellite network. Mr. Meunier will discuss several challenges facing the Copts, Egypt’s indigenous, pre-Arab Christians. Mr. Meunier will also address the necessity for Coptic political participation.



Mr. Meunier, a renown Coptic activist and human rights advocate, will appear as the special guest on the popular al-Hurra live talk show “Free Hour.” Mr. Meunier will discuss several civil and human rights challenges facing Egypt’s Copts, particularly Copts’ almost wholesale exclusion from Egyptian politics and government.



“I am pleased to once again represent the world Coptic community on an internationally-broadcast satellite network such as al-Hurra,” said Mr. Meunier. “Coptic political participation in Egyptian government is a key step toward achieving equal civil and human rights for Copts. We hope that by effectively harnessing the power of international media, we can continue drawing the world’s attention to this and other important issues affecting Copts throughout the Diaspora.”

“Free Hour” will air live from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (8:00 PM-9:00 PM Egyptian Time).


http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=869

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U.S.COPTS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT TO SPEAK ON INTERNATIONAL RADIO PROGRAM

Washington, D.C. (1/20/05)—U.S. Copts Association President Michael Meunier will speak tonight on The Tovia Singer Show, a daily news radio program with host Rabbi Tovia Singer. Meunier, a leading Coptic Diaspora activist, will discuss the recent slaying of a New Jersey Coptic-American family.



Rabbi Tovia Singer is a noted scholar, journalist, and expert on Middle Eastern terrorism and Judaic issues. His daily radio program, The Tovia Singer Show, is broadcast on Israel National Radio and reaches over 3 million listeners worldwide. Listeners in the United States can hear The Tovia Singer Show at www.israelnationalradio.com .



Meunier’s interview will air tonight at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time.
http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=619

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Looking for Justice for the blood of our martyrs in Al-Kosheh

by: Michael Meunier



On the eve of the new millennium, close to two years ago, hundreds of Muslims attacked the village of Al-Kosheh, a predominantly Christian village in Upper Egypt. The attacks continued for 3 days with no intervention from the Egyptian police. The attackers slaughtered 21 Christians, including women and children and had ample time to burn and decapitate many of the bodies. Hundreds of Christians were injured and their homes destroyed and shops vandalized.



After overwhelming local and international pressure, the Egyptian government arrested 58 Muslim and 38 Copts and charged them with various charges, including murder, rioting and destruction of property.

On 2/5/2001, the criminal court of Sohag, Egypt acquitted 92 of the total 96 defendants. The court handed in lenient sentences to 4 criminals for crimes other than murder, a decision that flabbergasted the world and left us wondering whom then killed the 21 Christians in Egypt? The court’s decision underscores the great leverage and controls the Muslim fundamentalist have over the judiciary system in Egypt. It also highlighted the well-known fact that the Egyptian government has sacrificed the Christians of Egypt to appease the Muslim fanatics within its ranks.

After yet another protest from Christians in Egypt over the court verdict as well as protests from world leaders and lawmakers, the appeal court rejected the criminal court’s decision and had agreed to hear a retrial of the case.

On November 3, 2001 the appeal court will begin hearing the case all over again, all while the killers were set free by the first court decision.

For decades now, the Copts all over the world, especially those in Egypt, have been asking for justice. From Ottawa to Cairo, Washington to Sydney, and Melbourne to Assiut, millions of Copts have been demanding justice and equality in Egypt, a country which severely discriminates its Coptic Christians minority.

It is time now for all of the Copts to raise their voices and make the Egyptian government aware that we are watching and waiting for the new verdict. The blood of our martyrs is ing for justice and it is our duty to see to it.

Please take the time to write to call or write to your local Egyptian Embassy informing them of your interest in the case. Write a letter to President Mubarak demanding an end to the abuses that he has encouraged for over twenty years and has promoted through little or no action to protect the Copts or bring their attackers to justice. Finally, make sure you inform the world of these atrocities committed against our people. Write to your local politicians and human rights organizations. Try to visit your nearest Christian Church and talk to its members about the suffering of Christians in Egypt and the little or no action taken by the Egyptian government to stop its own discriminatory polices against the Christians of Egypt.

In the upcoming days, the Coptic Digest will lead the campaign on “Justice in Al-Kosheh”. Please make sure to participate.
http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=210

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Washington, D.C. (7/25/05)—U.S. Copts Association condemns the recent terrorist attacks on Egyptian Red Sea resort Sharm El-Sheikh and expresses to both Egyptian and non-Egyptian victims of the attacks our deepest sympathy.



Like other indigenous ethno-religious minorities in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt’s Christian Copts have endured centuries of extremist-sponsored oppression and terror; as veterans of militant attacks, we stand in support of victims of terror throughout the world.



U.S. Copts Association calls on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his administration to seek out and eradicate militant factions operating in Egypt, and to affect significant and measurable reforms eliminating hate propaganda and Islamic extremism from state-run education and media.



We caution President Mubarak against retreating from declarations of democratic and human rights reform in Egypt; in the face of the tragic Sharm El-Sheikh attacks, Egypt must not only continue but increase its strides towards a genuinely pluralistic and democratic society.



U.S. Copts Association will continue to collaborate with U.S. legislators supporting democratic development, religious freedom, and human rights reform both in Egypt and throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

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The First International Coptic Symposium- Speech of Mr. Michael Meunier--The Copts, a Forward-Looking Vision
By: Michael Meunier
http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=580

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Michael Meunier speaks at the U.N.
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sherif Adeeb

Phone: 202.737.3660 or 1-866.3.COPTIC


Michael Meunier to Address the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights in Geneva

Washington, D.C. (04/02/03) U.S. Copts Association announced today that
Mr. Michael Meunier, president of the association, will be addressing the
U.N. this month during the 59th session of the Commission on Human Rights
in Geneva, Switzerland. His address will focus on the plight of the Copts
and the status of the protection of freedoms and human rights in Egypt.

While this is a unique platform for the often under-represented Coptic
minority to voice their concerns, it is also an extension of the
organizations continuous efforts to educate the international community on
issues facing the Copts within Egypt. U.S. Copts Association believes this
address to be a positive step in the path to ultimately producing the
necessary changes to ensure equity for all of Egypts citizens.

The Commission on Human Rights convenes annually in Geneva with over 3,000
delegates from various states and non-governmental organizations to address
the international promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms.

We believe this to be a historic opportunity for Copts in Egypt and the
Diaspora,said U.S. Copts Association board member, Dr. Kamal Ibrahim; We
are hopeful that this step will increase awareness in the international
community regarding the violation of human rights in Egypt.

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The U.S. Copts Association, founded in 1996 and based in Washington D.C.,
advocates for democracy, religious freedom, and human rights in Egypt. The
Association represents over 700,000 Egyptian Christians in the United States

http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=418