Since the dawn of history, the Jewish people have been a powerful force for peace and civility. Their remarkable contributions to civilization are a testimony to their love of the human race. Since Christianity came to Egypt in 57 A.D., we, the Christians of Egypt, have not had conflict with the Jewish people. Copts and Jews share a common history of centuries of persecutions by Muslims and Christians alike. Indeed, we share a deeply rooted appreciation for security and a yearning for peace. Copts have been a marginal population held in captivity for 16 centuries. They constitute the largest non-Arab, non-Muslim minority in the Middle East. The Coptic Orthodox Church, The Church of Alexandria, is arguably the oldest organization in the Middle East. It continues to exist and function as it has done so uninterrupted since 57 A.D. Despite this distinguished history, it is a church that has been under siege since the Islamic invasion. The Church’s relations with foreign counties is dictated by the Arab government of Egypt. Since the humiliating 1967 defeat of the Arab government of Egypt in the Six-Day War, the Christians of Egypt have been allowed to immigrate to the United States, where several human rights organizations have actively worked to expose the heinous crimes committed against the Copts in Egypt. These organizations have generally avoided the public, which addresses the Arab-Israeli conflict. The National American Coptic Assembly in the U.S. recognizes that it is in the best interest of the Coptic people to develop and declare a position regarding the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Our outline of our position is as follows: We recognize the sacred right of the state of Israel and the Israeli people to the land of historic Israel. “The right of return†of the Jewish people to the land of their foremothers and forefathers is a sacred right. It has no statute of limitation. The return must continue to enrich the Middle East . We recognize Jerusalem as simply a Jewish city. It must never be divided. She is, and shall always be, the united capital of Israel. The future of the Palestinians lies with the Arab states. A Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria constitute an imminent danger to world peace. We believe that the Wahabi/Muslim Brotherhood's religious ideology and its power structures are threats not only to Israel and other non-Arab, non-Muslim peoples in the Middle East, but also to world peace. We believe that the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the achievement of a genuine peace in the Middle East can only be visible. In any current or future peace treaty among all parties involved in the Middle East conflict, the following must be part of such a treaty: All parties to this treaty recognize Mecca and Medina to be the holiest cities in Islam, whereas Christian and Jewish parties to this treaty give up and surrender in full any and all legal and historical rights to these cities. All parties to this treaty recognize a united Middle East. In conclusion, Copts and Jews share the same history in the Middle East. Both populations had been living prior to the rise of Islam. They also faced a great magnitude of discrimination and persecution during the past 1400 years. However, Copts are not seeking to create their own state, like Jews. BM The beliefs and statements of all Bikya Masr blogumnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect our editorial views.
