Free the Copts: From Ancient Glory to Modern Oppression - Paperback

by Ramy Tadros (Editor), Australian Coptic Movement Association (Author)

On 1 January 2011, a bomb blast outside a Coptic church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria kills dozens of Copts attending New Year services. Media outlets from around the world replay footage of the carnage. Threats are made against Copts worldwide. Angered, anguished, and defiant, Egypt's besieged Copts flood the streets and clash with police in Alexandria and Cairo. Twenty-five days later on 25 January 2011, Egypt's revolution begins and the events, once again, capture the international community's attention. But this time the world watches with inspiration, as the Egyptian people seek to topple a dictatorship. FREE THE COPTS provides a fresh perspective on Egypt's Copts, their culture, and their struggle against discrimination and persecution. Various politicians, journalists, academics, clergy, and activists from around the globe have contributed a range of articles to make this compilation a valuable resource about the Copts and their future in a changing Egypt.

Author Biography

The Australian Coptic Movement Association Ltd (ACM) was founded in 2010 by experienced Coptic rights activists and a new generation of passionate young Copts and non-Copts from across Australia. The ACM is a community advocacy group that fights for human rights in Egypt by exposing the persecution suffered by Copts, advocating for greater political and civil liberties, and calling for the justice and security of Copts in order to promote democratic change. By closely working with the wider Australian community, government bodies, the media, and other human rights organisations, ACM has quickly grown to become one of the most active Coptic organisations in Australia, accumulating nationwide support. This status is reflected and recorded in Hansard records and numerous national and international media reports. The ACM has achieved many milestones, which has brought it to the forefront of the struggle for freedom. These achievements include organising rallies, lobbying the Australian government to pass motions in the Federal and NSW Houses of Parliament, conducting letter-writing campaigns, releasing media statements, providing support to Coptic asylum seekers, and encouraging Copts to assimilate into the wider community.