Even as Egypt’s political and social crisis persists, violence against Coptic women and girls is escalating, including kidnappings, forced conversions, and other human rights abuses, according to a congressional hearing that included a new report on the problems unveiled before the U.S. Helsinki Commission today, chaired by Cong. Chris Smith (NJ-04).
“It has now been almost a year and a half since the revolution began in Egypt, and Egypt is still in the foundry fires of transition – hopefully into a free and democratic state,” Smith said. “Order seems to hang by a thread and tensions run extremely high. Though Egypt has avoided civil war, the revolution and ongoing unrest and social conflict has already left many casualties in the Coptic community. Sadly, there are groups that would use the ancient Christian Coptic community as a way to build unity around a common enemy.” To read the chairman’s opening statement, click here.
According to a report that was released at the hearing by Dr. Michele Clark of George Washington University, at least 550 Coptic Christian women and girls over the last five years have been kidnapped from their communities. The few who have ever been been found suffered human rights abuses including forced conversion, rape, forced marriage, beatings, and domestic servitude while being held by their captors. The rise in violence against Coptic women raises questions about whether developments in the new Egypt are leaving Coptic women and their families more vulnerable than ever – and what U.S. policy should be to address it.
Testifying at the hearing were:
- Michele Clark, Adjunct Professor, Elliott School of
International Affairs, The George Washington University
- Dr. Walid
Phares, Author of “The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the
Middle East,” and Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Legislative Group on
Counterterrorism
- Victim Witnesses, two Coptic women who
experienced attempted kidnapping and forced conversion before they found asylum
in the United States.
The testimonies will be posted on the CSCE, and then can be viewed by clicking here.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission, officially called the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, is an independent agency of the Federal Government charged with monitoring compliance with the Helsinki Accords and advancing comprehensive security through promotion of human rights, democracy, and economic, environmental and military cooperation in 56 countries connected to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Commission consists of nine members from the U.S. Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce. Egypt is a partner of the OSCE.
