Coptic Solidarity Urges Chairmen Royce and Ros-Lehtinen to Mark-up Resolution Supporting Persecuted Copts

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Coptic Solidarity has coordinated an urgent campaign, requesting that Rep. Ed Royce ( R- CA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Ileana Ros ? Lehtinen (R ? FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) urgently schedule House Resolution 673, Expressing concern over attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt for a mark-up, so it can be voted on before this session of Congress ends.

Coptic Solidarity strongly urges all interested individuals to send messages to Chairmen Royce and Ros-Lehtinen from Coptic Solidarity's website making this request. A sample letter is provided, and once signed it will be delivered directly to the Congressional offices.

Coptic Solidarity launched a grassroots campaign last year strongly supporting the resolution when it was first introduced by Rep. French Hill (R ? AR), with equal numbers of Republican and Democrat cosponsors. H. RES. 673 has continued to build strong bi-partisan backing and now is supported by a total of 47 Members of Congress, many of whom are members of the MENA subcommittee.

After being introduced, each resolution is assigned to a Congressional committee. H. RES. 673 was assigned to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and will be reviewed by the MENA Subcommittee. Chairman. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen is one of the original cosponsors of H. RES. 673.

Once reviewed and marked-up in the Subcommittee, the resolution can be scheduled for a full floor vote in the US House of Representatives.

During the Foreign Affairs Hearing, Egypt: Security, Human Rights, and Reform, chaired by Rep. Ros ? Lehtinen on July 24, 2018, expert witnesses presented compelling evidence of the decimation of civil society and increased persecution of Copts and other religious minorities in Egypt.

Given Egypt's increasingly authoritarian environment in which minorities suffer, it is imperative to pass H. RES. 673 before the end of this session of Congress. It will send an important message to Egypt's government that the US Congress cares about the state of human rights and religious freedom in Egypt, and is willing to address it, while simultaneously acknowledging positive steps.

Coptic Solidarity is an organization seeking to help minorities, particularly the Copts, of Egypt and we support those in Egypt working for democracy, freedom, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all Egyptian citizens. It advocates in cooperation with the affiliated organizations in Canada and in Europe (Solidarité Copte). For more information, contact Lindsay Griffin at 801-512-1713 or coptadvocacy(at)copticsolidarity.org

SOURCE Coptic Solidarity