Human Rights in Egypt - Status of Religious and Ethnic Minorities

Status of Religious and Ethnic Minorities

Main article: Persecution of Copts See also: Al-Kosheh

From December 31, 1999 to January 2, 2000, 21 Coptic Christians were killed by an angry mob in Al-Kosheh. Al-Ahram in part cites economic resentment as the cause, but discusses Muslims who condemned the action. A Coptic organization saw it as a sign of official discrimination. In 2005 a riot against Copts occurred in Alexandria.

Egypt has been accused of practicing apartheid against the ancient Coptic Christian community. The Baptist Press describes Egypt of practicing a form of "religious apartheid" under which indigenous Christians "can be terrorized, robbed and killed with impunity." Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh describes the Egyptian treatment of Christians, which forces "hundreds of thousands" to emigrate "many of those who are left behind are forced to convert to Islam every year to escape persecution" and where crimes against Christians often go unprosecuted, as a system of "apartheid.".

Privately owned and government-owned newspapers publish anti-Semitic articles and editorials.

Read more about this topic:  Human Rights In Egypt

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