Rights activists in the United States are organizing a Saturday morning silent sit-in outside the White House and Congress in which they will hold up photos of the victims of the 9 October Maspero violence. The demonstration will mark 40 days since the bloody incident and demand its culprits be brought to justice.
The Washington sit-in syncs with another sit-in organized by Coptic Roots Movement in California and other silent sit-ins in Toronto and Mississauga, Canada. Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Virginia is also performing a prayer for the Maspero victims.
The violence outside the state television and radio building left 28 dead and hundreds wounded.
The incident has aroused the anger of Egyptian Copts who have since organized many protests criticizing the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) for its “leniency” in investigating numerous attacks on Copts since it assumed power.
Sectarian violence and doubt surrounding the handover of power in Egypt have combined to lead some US congressmen to suggest stipulating US aid to Egypt on whether Egypt protects its minorities. Some have also suggested allocating part of US aid to address the Coptic community's problems, cases of sectarian violence, and supporting civil society programs calling for respect for human rights, particularly freedom of worship.
Many congressmen have expressed disappointment over the Egyptian government's slow investigation into the Maspero violence.
They also called on US President Barack Obama to condemn the incident and the army's unjustified use of violence against unarmed civilians, which has resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
