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Coptic Solidarity Conference Provides Key Recommendation to Stop Genocide of Minorities in Middle East
In the past decade, religious minorities in the Middle East have experienced extreme persecution. The theme of the conference is . All speakers agreed that without direct, aggressive support, the future of Coptic Christians is in doubt.
The primary recommendations from the Conference are:
The was hosted on June 11 at the US Capitol and included: Members of Congress, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, the Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, leaders from Canada and the UK, and policy experts.
Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein said that the worldview of ISIS in the Middle East is "fundamentally opposed to freedom. Countering this religious oppression is my top priority." He went on to say that the " ."
A common theme throughout the day was the importance of . Both Republican and Democratic Members of Congress affirmed the importance of religious liberty in securing human rights.
New ideas explored included a recent amendment by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) to include religious freedom as a component of trade negotiations. The amendment, initially focused on Pacific trade pacts, passed the U.S. Senate and is before the House.
Hon. Bob Dechert , Member, House of Commons, described being in Parliament during the recent Canadian terrorist attack. Rt. Hon. Baroness Elizabeth Berridge , , detailed her work to improve religious freedom through an International Panel of Parliamentarians.
Coptic Solidarity hosted a dinner following the Policy Day in which participated from the embassies of: . Each of these countries presented on their efforts to stop the increasing persecution of minorities in the MENA region.
Dr. , USCIRF Commissioner and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, was presented with for his tireless and unwavering support of democracy in the region and true religious freedom and equality for all minorities.
Judge Jeanine Pirro was the keynote speaker on the second conference day. Her outspoken support for Copts and other minorities resulted in a standing ovation. Kenneth Hachikian , Chairman of the , also shared lessons learned from the Armenian Genocide and provided suggestions for addressing the current genocide. Committee (representing many of the minorities suffering in the current genocide against Christians in Iraq , Syria , and surrounding countries) shared about the plight of their communities and what can be done to help them.
In the last year, Coptic Solidarity has acted on many of the recommendations following the 2014 conference. The Annual Conference plays a vital role in providing reporting and concrete policy recommendations that Coptic Solidarity can act on with partners.
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