Supporting Coptic Christians in Egypt.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 117 Supporting Coptic Christians in Egypt. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 11, 2021 Mr. HILL (for himself, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. CRENSHAW, Ms. MENG, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. MCGOV- ERN, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. SIRES, and Mr. TRONE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af- fairs RESOLUTION Supporting Coptic Christians in Egypt. Whereas St. Mark brought Christianity to Egypt, where Cop- tic Christians have been one of the indigenous people of Egypt for over 2,000 years; Whereas there are over 10,000,000 Copts in Egypt, making the Copts the largest Christian and the largest non-Mus- lim community in the Middle East; Whereas Copts and other Christians have been targets of so- cietal aggression resulting in the loss of life, property, and the destruction of churches; Whereas, in January 2015, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was the first Egyptian President in more than 50 years VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:58 Feb 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 117 IH to make an appearance at a Coptic Christian Christmas liturgy; Whereas, in August 2016, Egypt passed Law 80 to stream- line the church construction process; Whereas, as of January 2021, according to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, of the approximately 5,500 unlicensed churches and religious buildings awaiting legalization, authorities have condi- tionally recognized approximately 1,800; Whereas Coptic Christians face discrimination in Egypt’s public-sector employment, including the police force, armed services, education, the judiciary, and the foreign service; Whereas Coptic Christians face discrimination in Egypt’s athletics, including the Egyptian Olympic team, on the national, reserve, and youth football teams, and in the Egyptian premier soccer league; Whereas violence against Coptic Christians, particularly in local villages, is rarely punished, making Copts more sus- ceptible to attacks; Whereas Egyptian Government officials frequently participate in informal reconciliation sessions to address incidents of sectarian violence or tension, saying that such sessions prevented further violence; Whereas according to human rights groups, the reconciliation sessions have regularly led to outcomes unfavorable to re- ligious minorities and precluded recourse to the judicial system by such minorities; Whereas civil society institutions, women’s rights organiza- tions, nongovernmental organizations (both national and VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:58 Feb 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 117 IH foreign) have been shut down or their activities severely curtailed; Whereas journalists, thinkers, and dissenters, such as Ramy Kamel and Patrick Zaki, have been imprisoned indefi- nitely, detained without trial, or are subject to a revolving door of arrest, interrogation, pretrial detention and re- newal hearings at which many prisoners have their deten- tions automatically renewed (for months or even years) without evidence, and re-arrest after release orders have been given; Whereas United States diplomatic leadership contributes meaningfully and materially to the international protec- tion of religious minorities and their faith-based practices and places of worship; Whereas the United States has a strong interest in combat- ting the threat of Islamic terrorism and ensuring the sta- bility of the region; and Whereas religious freedom and human rights are essential cornerstones of democracy that promote respect for indi- vidual liberty and contribute to greater stability and are priority values for the United States in promoting its en- gagement with other countries: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) acknowledges the central and historic im- 2 portance of the United States-Egypt partnership in 3 advancing the common interests of both countries; 4 (2) appreciates Egypt’s regional role as a part- 5 ner in the fight against terrorism and violent extre- 6 mism; 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:58 Feb 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 117 IH (3) recognizes the necessity for Egypt’s leaders 1 to take steps toward education reform that prioritize 2 impartial instruction of all religions and political re- 3 form that prioritizes human rights, fundamental 4 freedoms, and the rule of law; 5 (4) urges the Government of Egypt to complete 6 the process of church certification as initiated by the 7 2016 law; 8 (5) urges the Government of Egypt to end the 9 mistreatment of prisoners of conscience and to re- 10 lease all prisoners of conscience; 11 (6) urges the Government of Egypt to remove 12 religious affiliation from national identification 13 cards; 14 (7) urges the Government of Egypt to enact se- 15 rious and legitimate reforms in the public sector, 16 athletics, and society to ensure Coptic Christians are 17 given the same rights and opportunities as all other 18 Egyptian citizens; and 19 (8) urges the Government of Egypt to take ad- 20 ditional steps to end the culture of impunity for at- 21 tacks on Christians, to continue to undertake the ar- 22 rest, prosecution, and conviction of individuals who 23 carry out attacks on Copts and other Christians in 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:58 Feb 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 117 IH Egypt, and to hold accountable Government officials 1 who fail to enforce the law. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:58 Feb 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS