Washington, U.S.A. — A new Christian Solidarity International (CSI) report released recently calls on Egypt’s Islamist government and the international community – especially the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – to investigate and take strong measures to prevent the disappearance, forced marriage and forced conversion to Islam of Coptic Christian women and girls.

The report, entitled “Tell My Mother I Miss Her,” confirms that Coptic women and girls are deceptively lured or abducted into forced marriages with Muslim men and then to conversions to Islam, which frequently take place under duress and physical abuse.

The report’s co-authors, Michele Clark, adjunct professor at George Washington University, and Coptic human rights activist Nadia Ghaly, undertook research in Egypt in November 2011 in the midst of the uprising that resulted in the political ascent of the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical Islamist forces. According to Clark and Ghaly, the disappearance of Coptic women and girls has “escalated” since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

“Tell My Mother I Miss Her” was released in connection with the Congressional Helsinki Commission hearing on violence against Coptic women in Egypt, chaired by Congressman Chris Smith. Speaking as a witness before the hearing, Professor Clark stated, “Coptic women in Egypt are disappearing from their homes, their schools and their jobs.  These cases are not allegations.”

The hearing also featured testimony from an Egyptian Christian woman who received asylum in the United States after narrowly escaping abduction in Alexandria in January 2011. She was rescued by a doorman who saw her and her infant daughter being dragged into a taxi by a man shouting that she was “an enemy of Islam.”

“I’m here today, so I can tell you what happened to me,” she said. “I wonder about the others that weren’t saved. What happened to them?”

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), who chaired the hearing, called the forced disappearances “an outrageous crime,” and called the U.S. State Department’s failure to respond to repeated requests from the Commission to investigate the disappearances “appalling.”

“Unless the Copts and Coptic women and girls are protected,” he said, “Egypt will not be strong, Egyptwill not be stable, and Egypt will not be a successful democracy.”

Dr. John Eibner, the CEO of CSI-USA, called on the U.S. State Department and non-governmental organizations that specialize in women’s rights, human trafficking and religious liberty to conduct further research into this crime, commenting that, “Denial and obfuscation will neither help victimized Christian women, nor challenge the religious bigotry and sexism that impedes the development of democracy inEgypt.”

The new report can be accessed online at: http://csi-usa.org/TellMyMotherIMissHer.pdf. It should be read in conjunction with the 2009 report, which is available at http://www.csi-int.org/pdfs/csi_coptic_report.pdf.

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Clinton, U.S.A. – “The issue of civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples is an issue of public policy, not theology,” says Rev.Delman Coates a supporter of civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples.

”For too long the question of equal rights for gays and lesbians has been mired in a theological debate that in my opinion is not suitable in a public policy discussion,” Delman further states.

“The role of the State in a free democratic society is fundamentally different than the role of the Church, or any religious institution for that matter.  The role of the State in a pluralistic society is to provide for the common good and to protect the civil liberties of all its citizens.  As a Christian in this country, I value my religious freedom, but I also recognize that I cannot impose my religious beliefs on others in matters of public policy.

It is completely legitimate for people of faith to debate the moral legitimacy of same sex marriage as a religious rite, but that question is more appropriate for a different arena; the theological seminary, the pulpit, or the Bible study group, for example.   In the public policy arena, the issue is simply whether gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and civil liberties as other American citizens.  For me, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”

As a nation, we have always held that the ideals of our Constitution supersede subjective religious beliefs and views.   One’s personal religious beliefs about homosexuality should not be the basis for determining whether same gender loving couples deserve equal treatment under the law.

To do so establishes a discriminatory and dangerous public policy precedent that potentially threatens the civil liberties of all people.  As a Christian minister, I believe my role is to live in my faith, not to legislate it, and as long as the State does not seek to regulate the Church, the Church should not seek to regulate the State.

Civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples in no way infringes upon the right of religious bodies to define religious marriage as they see fit based upon their traditions, doctrine, and scriptural interpretations.  Religious institutions have always acknowledged the role of the State to provide civil marriage for all citizens regardless of their belief system or religious background. Every union acknowledged by the State, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is a civil marriage, and is not synonymous with religious marriage.

Civil marriages, therefore, do not have the power to determine, delimit, or define how religious institutions treat marriage based upon their own values, beliefs, and scriptural interpretations.

Religious marriage is solely province of a community of faith, and there is no legislative act that can be imposed upon faith communities to acknowledge, sanction, or perform.  Just as the State has no jurisdiction over the theological beliefs, practices, and ordinances of any house of worship, religious institutions should not seek to restrict equal opportunity to others in matters of public policy.

While there are a range of theological views about same sex marriage, all Americans can stand united under the banner of extending civil liberties and justice to all citizens.  People of faith will not allow their theological diversity on this or other issues to be exploited for political gain.

The welfare of our nation rests upon growing our economy, preserving the social safety nets for the poor and the elderly, and creating a civil society of mutuality, tolerance, and respect,” the senior pastor at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church says. He is of the opinion that one’s personal religious beliefs should have no bearing in determining whether other American citizens deserve equal treatment under the law.

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The dedication of a new Catholic cathedral in the city of Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, on December 7, served as a symbol of the nation’s economic development and the vigorous religious life of a country where the church was once violently suppressed.

President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo dedicated the new Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Equatorial Guinea’s easternmost city.  In his remarks, he reminded his countrymen of his government’s efforts to restore religious freedom as one of its first acts upon assuming power.

The previous regime had forced the “closure of churches and persecution of Christians, many of whom were forced into exile,” President Obiang said. “With our arrival, we proceeded to reopen all the churches closed by the former regime. We proceeded to release [political] prisoners, and ecclesiastical activity regained its vigor and normality.”

The event was held on the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the capital of Wele Nsas province, President Obiang’s birthplace. More than 1,000 guests attended the religious ceremony, including President Francois Bozize of the Central African Republic, papal envoy Francis Cardinal Arinze, and Antoinette Nguesso, wife of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The attractive new basilica, done in a variation of neoclassical style, is named for the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Equatorial Guinea. It can hold up to 8,000 people and took nearly six years to construct. President Obiang presented the plan for the basilica to Pope Benedict XVI during a state visit to the Holy See in 2005 and laid the cornerstone on December 9, 2006.

President Obiang expressed the hope that Pope Benedict would visit the country and recalled the critical role Pope John Paul II played in promoting national healing and renewal during his eight-hour visit to Equatorial Guinea in 1982.

“The Pope arrived at the airport in Malabo, kissed the earth, and blessed our country with his hands raised,” President Obiang said. “The people turned out in such a way that he left with the idea that our country was where he was received with the greatest fervor.” The population of Equatorial Guinea is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.

After the inaugural Mass, which was attended by five cardinals, 45 bishops, and some 300 priests from the central African sub-region, President Obiang and the Cardinal Arinze cut the ribbon, signifying the official opening of the basilica.

Gasper Furman / Shutterstock.com

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A campaign staffer for Rep. Michele Bachmann has been accused of alleged terrorism in Uganda. According to The Atlantic, Peter E. Waldron was arrested for activities in the country in 2006.

Waldron is responsible for Bachmann’s faith-based organizing in Iowa and South Carolina. He told The Atlantic that he was imprisoned in Uganda along with six Congolese and Ugandan nationals for possession of four illegal guns and 184 rounds of live ammunition in February 2006 while working as an Information Technology consultant for the Ministry of Health. He had been living in Uganda since 2002.

“Michele’s faith is an important part of her life and Peter did a tremendous job with our faith outreach in Iowa,” Bachmann’s press secretary told The Atlantic. “We are fortunate to have him on our team and look forward to having him expanding his efforts in several states.”

Waldron spent 37 days in the Luriza Prison, where he was reportedly tortured. The terrorism charges were dropped, largely in part because of pressure from the Bush administration. Waldron then returned to the United States and continued his work as a Republican political consultant.

The Ugandan inspector general said Waldron was suspected of having ties to a terrorism organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was planning to set up a Christian political party in Uganda. Waldron has since denied these charges and stated he did not have any weapons.

During an interview in 2009 on a Christian television talk show, Waldron said that “Biblical principles are eternal” and “must be applied today in light of the recent election,” because the United States had turned “to socialism, away from our historic democracy, our republic, our free enterprise, our capitalist system.”

“I have worked in every presidential campaign since 1980,” Waldron wrote on his Facebook page July 27. “One’s faith is always critical to me. Alan Keyes and Dr. Gary Bauer were terrific Christian, pro-life candidates.

Yet, I’ve never worked for a candidate more anointed, in love with the LORD, and has a Biblical World View like Michele Bachmann. She is an extraordinary woman of God and Member of Congress. She will make a great President.”

Particularly disturbing in this scene is that Waldron was allegedly trying to set up a Christian political party in Uganda. For anyone familiar with Uganda politics, you already know that American Christians are at least partly to blame for the extreme homophobia taking place in the African country.

The controversial, “Kill the Gays” bill was rationalized by Ugandan politicians after seeing American evangelists speak. If Waldron was indeed trying to influence Uganda politics, he might have more sinister ties that carrying weapons.

Either way, it is distressing that Bachmann dismisses any concern about Waldron’s ties to terrorism. I am absolutely positive if the roles were reversed, (remember Obama’s controversial minister) the GOP would be outraged. Instead, this is not even news.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/RepMicheleBachmann

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The massacre in Norway has dominated media attention. The unexplained killings are horrific and tragic. Within minutes of the news, the speculation about the gunman began in the United States. He was labeled, almost immediately, as a Muslim. This says more about us as a nation than the tragedy in Norway. However, the gunman turned out to be a Christian- a white, blond-haired Christian. So much for the new stereotypical boogeyman.

But, Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly was not happy with the Christian label. O’Reilly criticized the media for labeling Anders Behring-Breivik, the Norwegian killer, as a Christian, saying that such a thing was “impossible.” Even though Breivik labeled himself a Christian in his 1,500 page manifesto and stated he was coming from a Christian perspective. The Norwegian police also called Breivik a Christian. However, this was not enough evidence for Mr. O’Reilly.

“No one believing in Jesus commits mass murder,” O’Reilly said on his Fox show Monday. “The man might have called himself a Christian on the net, but he is certainly not of that faith…we can find no evidence, none, that this killer practiced Christianity in any way.” This was said with a complete straight face. No one believing in Jesus commits mass murder? Seriously? The list is endless but the Crusades sort of stand out to me.

O’Reilly particularly criticized the New York Times for calling Breivik a “Christian extremist.”

“So why is the angle being played up? Two reasons: First, the liberal media wants to make an equivalency between the actions of Breivik and the Oklahoma City bomber Tim McVeigh and al Qaeda. The left wants you to believe that fundamentalists Christians are a threat just like crazy jihadists are,” O’Reilly stated.

“In fact, in the “New York Times” today an analysis piece says that some believe we have overreacted to the Muslim threat in the world. Of course, that’s absurd. Jihadists have killed tens of thousands of people all over the world. The Taliban, Iran and elements in Pakistan use governmental power to support terrorism by Muslims. But the left-wing press wants to compare nuts like Breivik and McVeigh to state-sponsored terrorism and worldwide jihad.”

O’Reilly called this media attack “dishonest and insane.”

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