The Ignored Plight of Egypt's Christians

Before I begin, I want to apologize for my lengthy absence. Another project popped up unexpectedly and demanded my attention throughout the past month or so. Well, I'm back and will do my best to get back to the normal schedule of posting. With that out of the way, let's begin.

As the Muslim Brotherhood continues to expand its influence in Egypt, the Christian minority have begun to feel the pressure. During the Mubarak years, the Coptic Christians would see occasional acts of brutality committed against them, but it was generally limited because of Mubarak's efforts to slow the growth of the Islamist movement in Egypt. Mubarak had good reason to try to retain the loyalty of the Coptic minority. Egypt's Christians are among the best educated in the country, many having reached positions of influence in politics, business, and finance. Ironically, Mubarak's successors among the military, who do much of the work of ruling the country, have been assaulting Christian communities and using the chaos to secure their power.

Recently, a nasty incident occurred in which an angry mob (is there any other kind?) of Muslims burned down the homes of Christians close to Cairo. What instigated this violence? It all started when a Muslim man accused a Coptic laundry worker of improperly ironing his shirt and leaving it singed. The next day, the Muslim man gathered up a couple dozen friends and assaulted the Christian's house. The Copt, however, must have suspected something was going to go down because he was prepared for the mob, even injuring another man with a Molotov cocktail. The day after that, over 2,000 Muslims went on a rampage, burning and looting the homes of any Christians they could find.

This is only the most recent act of violence targeting Egypt's Coptic population. Tragically, the Obama administration seems more interested in making nice with the "mostly secular" Muslim Brotherhood as it takes over key positions within the government. There is a popular feeling among the Egyptian expatriates in the West, particularly the United States, that the world is ignoring the plight of the Copts because they feel the Copts will not organize to protest like radical Islamists do. But the reality is actually far worse than simply ignoring evidence. Legislation designed to create a special envoy for religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia that passed in the House of Representatives by a large margin has been stalled by Senator James Webb of Virginia.

As bad as Congress may be, the U.S. State Department is leading the charge when it comes to hiding the truth about persecution of Christians around the world. It was the State Department that labeled anti-Christian violence in Nigeria a simple case of tribal rivalry. But the worst (so far) came when the U.S. State Department released their "Country Reports on Human Rights" on May 24. Not only was the report three months behind the Congressional deadline, they had also removed the sections covering freedom of religion (you'd think a shorter report would get out faster!). The State Department, instead, directed its readers to the 2010 International Religious Freedom Report. In other words, the State Department is actively covering up the conditions of the Christian minorities throughout the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. If you have trouble wrapping your head around that, trust me when I say you're not the only one. Thomas Farr, a former U.S. diplomat who served under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush and was the first director of the Office of International Religious Freedom, said, "it is important to note here that I do not know-I have no personal knowledge of the logic that went into removing religious freedom from the broader human rights report; but I also have observed during the three-and-a-half years of the Obama administration that the issue of religious freedom has been distinctly downplayed." He pointed out that while some positions at the State Department, like the ambassador-at-large for global women's issues, were filled only a few months into the new administration, the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom "did not even step foot into her office until two-and-a-half years were gone of a four-year administration."

"Four-year administration." I like Mr. Farr's optimism.

Political Chaos in Egypt

When last we met, I discussed the consequences of Mubarak's prison sentence. With the one-time dictator out of the picture (and even recent rumors that Mubarak had died of a stroke), the issue of political succession has taken on renewed importance. Ever since Mubarak left office, a showdown between the old guard of Mubarak supporters and the populist Muslim Brotherhood has loomed large over every political act. Now that showdown has come to a head.

Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi was officially declared the winner of Egypt's heated election. The election, between Morsi and Mubarak's final prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, bitterly divided the nation. Many Egyptians, faced with the choice of supporting what they see as an illegal military-led government or a dangerous theocratic terrorist group, simply boycotted the vote altogether. Reports of domestic violence shot upward as family members physically assaulted (or even killed) one another because of political differences.

Morsi already has an uphill political battle ahead of him. In an unexpected move, the Egyptian military issued a declaration that transferred significant powers from the office of president to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces just hours after the polls closed but before the results had been fully counted. Among these powers include control over the country's budget as well as sweeping legislative authority. Needless to say, that move has sparked a tremendous outcry among the populace of Cairo.

So we have serious tension building in the streets of Cairo. Again. Somewhat worryingly, Muslim Brotherhood member of Parliament Saad al-Katatni declared that the declaration was "null and void" and that it was time for the Egyptians to protect their revolution. Language like that smacks of the theocratic revolution of Iran in 1979, an event that had bad results for the American presence in the Middle East. And I'm not the only one noticing the similarities. Congressman Allen West called on President Obama to cut off all foreign aid to Egypt to protest the Muslim Brotherhood's near-total domination of Egypt's government. "A year ago there were those of us who warned the Obama administration of a Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt," Congressman West wrote on his Facebook page. "Today our predictions have come to reality and the ominous specter reminding us of the Iranian revolution is evident." West also called President Obama "the second coming of President Jimmy Carter..."

Have I mentioned how much I like Congressman West?

Judgment Day for Mubarak

Hello once again to all of my loyal readers. I apologize for being gone so long, but another project (and Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World) have taken up more of my time than I had anticipated. Anyway, back into the fray.

For those of you still following the situation in Egypt (which I hope would be the vast majority of you), you know that today is a significant event in modern Egyptian history. Ever since Egypt's former leader Hosni Mubarak was removed from power, his trial and its aftermath have been the topics of heated debate. Would Mubarak supporters in the government skew the result toward a light sentence, or would the revolutionary bloodlust of the populace scare the current leadership into executing the fallen dictator to appease the mob? Well, today we have our answer: Mubarak will serve a life sentence in prison for ordering his police and military to kill protesters.

Many people who suffered under Mubarak's regime, both before and during the uprisings, were glad to see what they considered a fair but properly harsh sentence. However, many more are furious that Mubarak was not executed for his crimes. The trial actually had to be halted at one point when a scuffle broke out between Mubarak supporters and relatives of Mubarak's victims (along with some of the prosecuting attorneys!). Mubarak himself listened to the verdict while on a hospital gurney that had been brought into the courtroom after receiving medical care while in prison awaiting the trial. After the verdict was read, more fighting began in the courtroom and spilled out into the streets. A wave of protests have begun, and by all indications they are just getting started.

So why does this matter? You can be sure that more than a few allies of the United States have been watching this situation with great interest. They are worried that, if similar protests erupt against their rule, the American government may abandon them just as quickly as it had Mubarak. These nations will try to make themselves more valuable allies to the United States in the short-term, but they will also begin to seriously cultivate relationships with other powers like China or Russia (both of whom have been skeptical of the charges against Syria's Assad) who would be willing to support them even if the United States will not. Also, these new protests are undoubtedly being organized with an eye toward influencing the upcoming Egyptian elections. The Muslim Brotherhood has much to gain and little to lose by stirring up resentment against former members of the Mubarak government.

And let us also not forget that Mubarak's life will be in danger until he finally succumbs to causes natural or otherwise. After all, Libya has already established a dangerous precedent in which a hated ex-leader is murdered in cold blood. Now that the people of Egypt feel they have been denied Allah's justice, they will seek to exact it themselves.

Amazing Documentary

Glenn Beck has just release a must-see documentary entitled "Rumors of War III: Target U.S." It goes into tremendous and terrifying detail about the threats presented by Islamists and how the United States government is actually encouraging the spread of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. A series of experts from the media, law enforcement, politics, and the military discuss some of the deadliest threats to American security, many of which I have discussed previously on The New Knighthood, including Iran and Hezbollah's connections on the southern border.

Go to this link:  http://www.glennbeck.com/rumorsofwar/. GBTV is a paid subscription site, but they are offering a two-week free trial so as many people as possible can get this information. If you have friends or loved ones who are not yet awake to these threats, this would be a great way to open their eyes. If you are disturbed by the current dangers Islamists present to America (and the rest of the Western world), this documentary will provide a great depth of information in a very reasonable amount of time.

Watch the video. Spread the message. Take a stand.
Better Dead than Dhimmi!

Gone Fishin'

Greetings to all of my faithful readers! For the next few weeks my schedule is going to be consumed with another project that I am working on. As a result, there will be no new posts during this time. Of course, in the event of some major event I will do my best to give you all my take on the situation. I will also do my best to put up a new poll every Monday during this short break, so keep coming back to check for that. Thanks for reading The New Knighthood. I will see you all (metaphorically speaking) in three weeks.

Happy Easter

In a world filled with so much darkness and suffering, it can be easy to fall into pessimism. At particular risk are those of us who pay close attention to the forces of evil at work in the world. Vigilance carries a price tag, and too often people with good intentions end up bitter, angry, and vengeful because all they focus on is the injustices in the world. But we must remember that there is more to the world than death and despair. There is light in the world as well as darkness, and if we spend too much time looking into the darkness we may end up suffocating in it. If we simply labor against the darkness, then we labor in vain. Trying to stop moral darkness is as pointless as trying to push physical darkness out of your house with your bare hands. You do not remove darkness, but rather replace it with light. We must understand the light as well as the dark if we stand a chance of reflecting it into the shadows.

Those of us who are Christians serve the Light of the world. We stand not just against the forces of evil but for our Redeemer. The day we set aside to remember Christ's resurrection seems as good a time as any to discuss this topic. The real story of Easter is that the hardest part is already finished. Jesus sacrificed himself on a cross and rose three days later so that the power of sin and death could be broken forever. Any challenges we face, from personal demons to conflicts between entire civilizations, pale in comparison.

Persecution is to be expected. Christ told the Church as much in John 15:18. But to become bitter or seek revenge is to miss the entire point of Christ's sacrifice. He didn't give his life so that the sinless people could have eternal life but so that the sinful and corrupt could be redeemed and made new. Even for those of you who are not Christians, the point still stands: people are capable of change. That is the entire reason we promote free will and individual liberty. It is often the enemies of truth become its greatest champions. Examples range from the Apostle Paul to former Communists like David Horowitz. It is the ideology and the evil actions promoted by that ideology that we must hate, but we must be willing to forgive our enemies. After all, if we do not expect to convince anyone of the rightness of our cause, why do we expend so much effort trying?

So happy Easter everyone. And God bless.

Tragedy in Toulouse

I intended to do this post last week, but I was plagued by technical issues. This may no longer be breaking news, but it still bears careful examination.

Once again, a tragic shooting has rocked Europe. On March 19th, a gunman started shooting at a Jewish school, resulting in the deaths of three children and one adult male, the father of two of the young victims. Investigators discovered that the same weapon was used in the murders of three French paratroopers in two previous attacks, both quick hits in which the attacker used a motorcycle to escape into traffic after the shooting. Authorities closed in on the man, Mohamed Merah, believed responsible for the murders. This led to a 32-hour standoff between Merah and the police which ended with a police assault on his apartment. Two police officers were wounded in the firefight and Merah was killed by police while trying to flee the scene. Attention has shifted to Merah's brother Abdelkader, who police accuse of assisting Mohamed's rampage.

This incident has brought attention to two related phenomenon in Western Europe: the increasing radicalization and self-imposed isolation of Muslim immigrant communities and the drastic rise in anti-Semitism. As the Muslim populations within countries like France and England have exploded (no pun intended) over the past few decades, they have grown increasingly bold in their interactions with their fellow countrymen. From Sharia courts in London to the so-called "Sensitive Urban Zones" of Paris and other major French cities, the idea of Islamic superiority is on the march. Islamic "civil rights" groups have been popping up like crazy in the West, primarily to distort the media message and label anyone seeking an honest examination of the facts as a hate-monger. One of these groups, the Forsane Alizza group, has faced intense examination from French law enforcement because of alleged connections to Merah's attacks. Nineteen members were taken into custody, and the interior minister reported that stockpiles of assault rifles were found while searching these suspects' houses. This suggests that further attacks, possibly coordinated strikes by multiple gunmen, were planned. Counterterrorism experts have also warned that more so-called "lone wolf" attacks are on the way.

As ethnic tensions increase, anti-Semitism has rocketed in popularity. A recent report by the Anti-Defamation League found what they called "disturbingly high" surges of anti-Semitism in Austria, France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The study shows that high percentages of the population, in many cases the majority, believe that Jews are not loyal enough and that they have too much power, particularly in business and finance. Please don't misunderstand, I am not saying that Muslims are the perpetrators of this. Far from it, many non-Muslim groups actually use Muslim militancy to call for crackdowns on Jewish populations. One French schoolteacher aroused controversy when she asked her class to pay respects to the murderer, saying his connection to al-Qaeda had been fabricated to frame him (I don't know what excuse she has for his armed standoff with police). As various evil factions, whether Communist, fascist, or Islamist, gain power and create chaos, we will see a sharp increase in assaults against European Jews. As popular novelist Andrew Klavan says, the nice thing about anti-Semitism is "it lets you know exactly who the dirtbags are." By observing such a rapid rise in anti-Semitism over the last few years, it shows a disturbing trend toward dirtbag-ism that cannot be ignored.

The loss of life in these attacks is tragic, but it would be even more tragic to simply observe such violence and then return to our lives believing that it is an anomaly that will not be repeated. Also, be on the lookout for a violent response of some kind like the Norway murders last year by one of the other major groups of bad guys trying to take power. The game is being rigged as we speak. Innocent, ignorant people will find themselves forced to take sides in a conflict between different sides of the same totalitarian coin. To quote the supercomputer from WarGames, "the only winning move is not to play." Look out for anyone trying to present you with a false choice, and ask the questions they don't want to answer.