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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-09 Daily Xml
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EGYPTIAN CHRISTIAN MINORITY

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services) (11:30): I move:

That this house:

(a) deplores the killing of Egypt's Christian minority by extremists and killings in intercommunal violence; and

(b) requests the interim government and security forces of Egypt to do more to protect religious minorities.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a very strong Christian minority in Egypt. They are made up of several different denominations, mainly Coptic Orthodox. There is a very small Greek expatriate community, and I recently celebrated the 50th year of that community's existence in South Australia with Jing Lee, the opposition upper house member, on Richmond Road, Keswick, and we talked at length to community members about what is going on in Egypt.

Just so that people understand, Christianity has been established in Egypt since 284 AD. The Egyptian government has, over a long period of time, accepted and been very mindful of religious minorities in Egypt and, given the popular uprising against the Mubarak regime, some extremists groups in Egypt have taken it upon themselves to attack Christian minorities.

There has been a long history of intercommunal violence in Egypt, and I will list a few: in 1972, a mob attacked and burned a prayer meeting at a Coptic church at the Holy Scripture College; in 1981, 81 Christians were killed by a mob and the interior minister blamed the deaths on a lack of adequate security measures; in November 1981, a Coptic priest was kidnapped and threatened to death unless he denounced his faith and publicly converted. He refused and his throat was cut, and he was left on the street to bleed to death; in 1991, mobs attacked students; in 1992, farmers were attacked; on 4 May, 1992, villagers of Manshia and Weesa in Dyroot, Upper Egypt were attacked for weeks and 13 of them were shot dead, including 10 farmers and a child tending their fields, and a doctor leaving for work.

That same year, at the celebration of Easter, there were six people murdered outside a church and 50 injured, followed by some 200 arrests. There were mobs attacking, burning and looting shops and 42 houses owned by Christians, and three people were injured and approximately ₤5 million worth of property, livestock and merchandise were destroyed. In 1992 and 1997, there were further attacks.

In 1997, one of the most celebrated attacks occurred when three masked terrorists entered St George Church in Abu Qurqas and shot dead eight Christians at a weekly youth group meeting. As the attackers fled, they were gunned down by another mob of Christian vigilantes who were enforcing their own form of inter-communal violence.

At Al Kosheh, a predominantly Christian town in southern Egypt, a customer at a Christian shoe store fell into an argument, and three days of rioting erupted in the street, leaving 20 Christians, including four children, and one Muslim dead. In the aftermath, 38 defendants were charged with murder in connection to the deaths of the 20 people but all were acquitted of murder charges and only four were convicted of any charge, the longest sentence being 10 years. After a protest by the Coptic Pope Shenouda, the government granted a new trial. In November 2000, a mob attempted to force Christians to pronounce a different faith, and then beat him to death when he refused.

There has been recent violence—just in case people think this is all in the past. In April/May 2010, a mob of 3,000 people attacked a Coptic Christian population of about 400 Christians, who had no choice but to barricade themselves in their church while the mob went about the town destroying their homes, shops and cars. On New Year's Day 2011, a car bomb exploded in front of an Alexandria Coptic Orthodox church killing at least 21 people and injuring at least 79. The incident happened a few minutes after the midnight mass as Christians were leaving the New Year's Eve church service.

On 11 January 2011, it was reported that a policeman opened fire on six worshippers in a province resulting in the death of a 71-year-old man and the injury of five others. On 5 March 2011, a church was set on fire in Sole, Egypt, by a group of angry men. Basically, this church was set on fire based on a rumour—a rumour—that a Muslim woman was romantically involved with a Christian man. The woman's father was killed for refusing to perform an honour killing, and the man's father was also killed. Many Christian residents of Sole fled that village, with the remainder living in fear. At least six Christians were killed in Cairo four days later when they were attacked by Muslims while protesting the church's burning. I add that there was nothing to substantiate that rumour at all.

Following the death of two Muslims, sectarian violence broke out in the southern Egyptian town of Abu Qurqas El Balad, 260 kilometres south of Cairo. A Christian was killed, an old woman was thrown from her second-floor balcony, and 10 Christians were hospitalised. The then terrorised Christian villagers sent pleas everywhere asking for protection, even to Coptic groups in Europe and the United States. In May 2011, orthodox Christians held a large protest in Tahrir Square, outside the main Egyptian television station, demanding an investigation into the recent attacks.

Largely because of the mounting violence against Christians and other smaller minorities, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended on 28 April that the State Department list Egypt as 'a country of particular concern' under the International Religious Freedom Act and adopt foreign policies to defend religious freedoms. In May 2010 the Wall Street Journal reported increasing 'waves of mob assaults', forcing many Christians to flee their homes. Despite frantic calls for help, the police typically arrived after the violence was over. Police have also allegedly coerced Christians to accept reconciliation with their attackers to avoid prosecution.

After the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Time magazine reported on the fears of the Christian population, finding widespread terror in their lives. The New York Times had a headline on 30 May 2011, stating that Egypt's Christians fear violence as changes embolden extremists. According to other international press agencies there are headings such as 'Moves to undermine the Egyptian revolution' and 'Christian-Muslim affair tests Egypt's revolution'. A news report on 14 May states:

It started with a Christian woman who wanted a divorce to marry her Muslim lover. With divorce strictly banned by Egypt's Coptic Christian community, she found no other way but to convert to Islam.

These sorts of myths and rumours about intercommunal violence between both sides—Christian and traditional Islamists in Egypt—are causing intercommunal violence. In Australia, we find that type of violence abhorrent and difficult to understand. However, it is important that the South Australian parliament recognises the importance of religious freedom in Egypt because there are many South Australian citizens here today who come from Egypt and who are from both the Islamic faith and the Christian faith, and they live together here in South Australia in harmony. They all deplore intercommunal violence. The breakdown is not through the spiritual leaders of the two great faiths in Egypt; the breakdown is in the government of Egypt policing to make sure that minorities are not attacked.

The reason I think it is important that Australia and South Australia make a stand is that we say to those citizens, 'We understand your love and affection for your homeland,' as many Irish Catholics and Irish protestants, people from England, Greece, Italy and Cyprus who come to this country do not lose a love and affection for their home country but still adopt and love their new country.

The reason we should stand up to intercommunal violence in Egypt and send out that message is to let those communities here in South Australia know that we stand with them and that they have come to a better country, a country that respects and understands religious differences and tolerates those differences and that we do not seek to divide even further or use those differences for any political gain; but what we do is make stands to protect the most vulnerable.

Unfortunately, what some people are attempting to do is hijack the Egyptian revolution, which I and the entire international community thought was about making sure that democracy was returned and a voice was given to all of Egypt's people because of the Mubarak regime trying to suppress freedom of expression. Some people are attempting to take advantage of that and apply their own extremist views on minorities.

When a country undergoes a revolution there is always a period of flux, a period of change and a period of difficulty, and that is when it is most important for the international community to stand up and shine a light on what is going on. One of the most fundamental freedoms that you enjoy in a democracy is the right to exercise your freedom of faith—to freely worship, to understand your faith's tradition, to express it, not be ridiculed because of it, and to be able to go about your business without fear of prosecution, without fear of intimidation and without fear of violence.

Currently, Christians in Egypt are fearful of attending mass. They are fearful of taking the Eucharist. They are fearful of expressing who they are in their home country. We are not talking about groups of migrants: we are talking about natural born Egyptians who happen to be Christian. I think it is important that we speak up about this and protect those fundamental core beliefs that we hold very dear. Indeed, our troops who are serving actively now are there defending those key principles.

I think it is important, and I ask the house to consider, why is it the South Australian House of Assembly would want to note intercommunal violence in Egypt. Why it is important? It is important because, wherever there is tyranny or free men are victims of it, we should speak out against it. Wherever there is religious intolerance we should speak out against it. This is not merely because they are Christians. I would be saying the same if it was done in a Christian country to an Islamic minority. This is about a very old, proud religion, a 2,000-year old religion, being trampled down by a small minority.

Mr Goldsworthy: It's older than that.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, Christianity is only about 2,000 years old.

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That's a moment for truth. You will be reading about it tomorrow, no doubt.

An honourable member: Is that a different calendar?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: A different calendar, that's right, yes. The truth is that we must speak out. This is not me attacking the great faith of Islam. Islam also has in the tenets of its faith tolerance, understanding, compassion and religious freedoms. There are simply those who wish to interpret that faith in a different way that makes it unrecognisable to moderates.

The great thing about Egypt is that there has always been a different mix of different ethnicities and religions that have worked quite well, and it is important that it not be lost. I think Egypt is an important site for Christians. It is where the Holy Family fled from Israel. It is important that we protect people's rights there and it is important that we send a message to those people who have migrated from Egypt to South Australia to let them know that we stand with them in lock step. I ask the house for its tolerance, and I ask the house for its compassion. I ask members to support the motion, and I ask them to pass it quickly.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:45): I rise to support the minister's motion. I think he has put the case profoundly and eloquently, and, clearly, he has a good knowledge of the subject. I believe that the motion is in the best interests of that minority of Christians in Egypt, who do need some protection. If there is one thing that Australians do not tolerate it is small minority groups like that being absolutely castigated and ridiculed. Once again, as the minister put it, it has nothing to do with the Islamic faith.

The very reason we are in Afghanistan is to protect minority groups that are being persecuted by others. This does not go away. Australians do this regularly; we do it all the time. We went into Timor to do it, but these are federal matters. However, in supporting the minister's motion, I think they are important to note.

We had the ridiculous situation a week or so ago when Ratko Mladić was captured. He is now pleading his innocence and saying he was not involved in all the atrocities against the Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica so many years ago. It is absolute madness. If this small parliament in this small state puts this on the table, it may not have much significance anywhere, but at least it allows us to put our thoughts on the table and address the issue in the chamber. Once again, I do not intend to go over everything the minister said, but I think it is an important little motion and I support it.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (11:47): Like the member for Finniss, I will not take up much of the house's time, but I do wish to speak on the motion briefly to commend the minister for bringing it forward. I thought that his contribution was very good, and his detailing of the history of the Coptic Church in Egypt in particular was important, as was the detailing of the sufferings they have faced at the hands of extremists.

I was in Italy over the time of the Alexandria bombings (I was on my honeymoon and we had just arrived), and it was dominating the press throughout Europe. It was the lead story there for probably a week until the Australian floods started to take over. I cannot speak for what the media in Australia was like at the time, but the level of anger, concern, disquiet and distress over there was palpable. The Pope made a very significant contribution on the matter.

I think that sometimes the sufferings that are faced in these circumstances do get lost a bit in time. That is why I agree with the member for Finniss and the minister that it is worthy of the house's attention for a little bit of time to put this on the record, that we stand against tyranny and that we stand against violence and oppression. With those few words, I support the minister's motion and I urge all members of the house to support it.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (11:48): I support this motion. I indicated, when the minister was speaking, that I think there are something like eight million plus Coptic Christians in Egypt, and any violence or discrimination against them is to be deplored. The Australian government should do all it can to help ensure that those people can practise their religion without the fear and reality of being tortured or oppressed.

I do not want to amend the motion, but I am sure the minister would appreciate that in countries like Iraq or Iran Christians are also oppressed and tortured. It does not matter which religious group it is, any action by extremists and any form of violence or intimidation against anyone, no matter what their religion, is unacceptable. We do not have much of it in our country. I think in the United States there are extreme elements from the Christian side against other people. We have seen it recently with that so-called 'pastor' who decided to burn the Koran, which was an offensive and inappropriate action.

I support this motion. I have met some people from the Coptic community; there are quite a few in Australia, particularly in Melbourne. Anything that can be done by the Australian government in particular to help protect the Christian minority, and any other religious group in any other country, including Iran, Iraq and others, is to be supported.

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (11:50): I will also be brief. I do commend the minister on bringing this to the attention of the house. The history of this place we call Earth, sadly, has too many stories of such levels of persecution that have occurred. Those who read history will reflect upon it and hopefully try and improve themselves as people and influence those around them to be better people, too.

Just some of the examples that the minister provided are outrageous, disgraceful and disgusting and should never be allowed to continue. I commend him on bringing this to the house. I hope only that, as we broaden the perspective of things that we look at, we consider other terrible instances of atrocities that are occurring in other countries. I also hope that we as a nation, who pride ourselves on the quality of life that we provide, but also have some sad aspects of our history, too, try to influence those nations to create a better opportunity for those people to live in a peaceful way. Well done, minister.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:51): Very briefly, I wish to add my support for this motion and commend the minister. As President of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, I do certainly welcome motions like this, because we do have to stand up and be counted sometimes, in this place and, indeed, on the world scene. Religious persecution is not acceptable to anybody at any time by any parliament anywhere. I commend the minister for bringing this motion to the house. I think there are many other issues similar to this that we could be addressing on a totally bipartisan basis. I think this motion should pass and pass strongly. I commend the minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services) (11:52): I am glad that I could bring everyone together in the house. I know I am usually a figure of unity.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, brother. I am someone who is renowned for bringing peoples together. 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.' I thank members and I will pass on to the Coptic community in South Australia the house's resolution, as I am sure members will themselves, and I encourage them to contact people in their own communities, in their own electorates, to let them know the stand that we have made today in stamping out violence based on religion.

Motion carried.

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