“The Egyptian authorities must take direct measures to protect the Coptic Christian minority and to prosecute those persecuting them,” says Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal following a meeting with a representative of the Coptic Church in the Netherlands, Father Arsenious El Baramousy.
The foreign minister said he was very concerned about the way in which a peaceful demonstration turned into a bloody confrontation in the Egyptian capital Cairo at the weekend. At least 25 people were killed and more than 300 injured.
Mr Rosenthal said the Netherlands and the European Union were both applying pressure on Egypt about the issue: “when freedom of religion is threatened, the government must protect its citizens,” said the minister.
For more: Egyptian Copts: 'always the victim'
(jric/imm)
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Religion: the root of too many evils.
Mr Rosenthal's quote: “when freedom of religion is threatened, the government must protect its citizens,” is an excellent sentiment. All governments should heed these words, including the Netherlands.
Awesome, you are right except for one point. If a religion through it's teachings promotes violence against other religions and against those who do not concur with it's religious dogmas, then that religion needs to be held accoutable for it's crimes. Awesome, the following is a quote from one of those many followers of a peace and loving religion: "He then told the courtroom he was fulfilling a "religious duty" that day and participating in an act of jihad against the United States. He said the underwear bomb was a "blessed weapon to save the lives of innocent Muslims." Did you block out the part where he stated "religious duty"? Oh, I almost forgot. I wonder how many Muslims were also on the plane that day he wished to save innocent Muslim lives. Awesome, all Muslims are not violent but there have been enough crimes committed by jihadist Muslims to make it a threat to other religions. Freedom of religion is a right to practice one's religion. But, it does not give the religion the right to harm those who disagree with it's dogmas. Your support for such a religion makes one believe that you do not respect anyone's rights but your own. I think that is why you tagged yourself as "awesome". Stick to your previous two letter tag and get off your ego trip.
Breivik, a Christian, also thought it was his duty to kill all those Norwegian kids. Does that indicate Christianity as a mortal threat to other religions? Most would disagree. We cannot use the actions of extremists as an excuse to persecute moderates.