The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUPPORTING EGYPTIAN COPTIC CHRISTIANS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H607-H608 on Jan. 16, 2019.
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The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORTING EGYPTIAN COPTIC CHRISTIANS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) for 5 minutes.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on National Religious Freedom Day to announce that I am reintroducing my resolution in the House in support of the Coptic Christians in Egypt.
I sponsored a nearly identical resolution last Congress, and I truly appreciate the support I received from more than 50 of my House colleagues who cosponsored that resolution.
Egypt and the United States are important partners in the fight against terrorism in the region. Egypt's role at Camp David has led to some of the closest ties between the United States, Egypt, and Israel in their history.
I am reintroducing this resolution because the Egyptian Government can do more to protect its Christian citizens.
I have great respect for President el-Sisi, someone I have had the opportunity to meet with on two occasions, and I applaud the changes and message that el-Sisi has made in the areas of religious tolerance and plurality.
He continues to say and do the right things at the top level of government: having a good relationship with the Coptic Pope, attending mass on multiple occasions, getting some churches reconstructed while constructing the largest Christian cathedral in the Middle East in the new administrative center outside Cairo, and holding terrorists accountable for their atrocities.
But, Mr. Speaker, there is more to do. I stress to the Egyptian foreign affairs officials when I meet with them that this is not an attack on President el-Sisi. To the contrary, I acknowledge the support and partnership and friendship that we have with Egypt. But there is more that can be done in the area of protecting religious freedom and human rights, especially in the rural parts of the country.
The State Department's 2018 religious freedom report on Egypt names Minya province as a particular area for concern. The Egyptians routinely claim that they have no minorities in Egypt. ``We are all Egyptians, and we all take our water from the Nile,'' is something that is frequently said.
But from my studies and in my view, there is a population in Egypt that does not have the same protections of rule of law as others. The country must do better in places like Minya province.
Following Secretary Pompeo's recent visit to Egypt, Hamza Hendawi of the Associated Press wrote: ``El-Sisi's widely publicized policy to staunch sectarianism, however, has done little to protect Christians in rural Egypt, where Muslim extremists frequently attack their homes and businesses or force them to leave their homes after violent disputes.
``Critics and activists say discrimination against Christians there is often tolerated by local authorities and branches of the security agencies.''
Mr. Speaker, my resolution calls on the Egyptian Government to end this culture of impunity for attacks on Christians and to undertake the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of individuals who carry out attacks on Copts and other Christians in Egypt. It calls on the government to hold accountable these local government officials who fail to enforce the law.
I stand with Secretary of State Pompeo and support his message that:
``More work certainly needs to be done to maximize the potential of the Egyptian nation and its people. I'm glad that America will be a partner in those efforts.''
However, as the second highest recipient of American military aid in the world, the United States Government must use the tools that it has to hold our allies to a higher standard, if they are to continue to receive our aid.
I encourage Egypt to live up to the legacy of Camp David at home, working to achieve what former President Anwar Sadat called ``permanent peace based on justice.''
Today in America, we commemorate Virginia's 1786 adoption of Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom. In his proclamation today, President Trump urged all Americans to help ``secure this blessing both at home and around the world.''
All people around the world, regardless of their religious affiliation, deserve the same freedom to practice their chosen religion like we have enjoyed here in the United States of America for more than 200 years.
Permanent peace based on justice for the Coptic Christians of Egypt, that is my goal with this resolution.
As President Reagan said: ``Respect for human rights is not social work; it is not merely an act of compassion. It is the first obligation of government and the source of its legitimacy.''
Mr. Speaker, the respect for human rights and religious freedom is fundamental to the American position, and I will continue to promote this issue for Coptic Christians and all Egyptians who take their water from the Nile.
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