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Africa North
Coptic Pope refused to cooperate with Morsi
2013-07-04
Tidbit from a longer article. What's interesting is how our Ambassador, Anne Patterson, took active steps to try and keep Morsi in power. I think that's called, "smart diplomacy"...
Prior to the Tamarod protest, the Morsi government took certain steps to minimize its impact. In [one] instance, Morsi called the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Tawadros II, and asked his holiness to dissuade Coptic Christians from participating in the protest, but Tawadros maintained that the Copts are free to exercise their political rights.

It appears that Egyptians across a broad spectrum of more moderate Muslims and Christians are saying they did not fight for greater freedom against one dictatorship a little over two years ago only to have another take its place. They want a true democracy, not an oppressive Islamic theocracy masquerading as a democracy.

Many Egyptians are also angry with the Obama administration. According to an article by Raymond Ibrahim, Morsi was not the only one who spoke to Pope Tawadros II about the Tamarod protest. The U. S. ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, also tried to persuade the Coptic Pope against the Copts participating in the protest.

Ibrahim says many Egyptian activists have condemned Ambassador Patterson for trying to undermine the protests. They call her "the Muslim Brotherhood's stooge." George Ishaq, a Coptic activist, told Patterson, "shut up and mind your own business."

"All throughout the Middle East," Ibrahim writes, "the U.S. has been supporting anyone and everyone opposing their leaders-in Libya against Gaddafi, in Egypt itself against 30-year U.S. ally Mubarak, and now in Syria against Assad. In all these cases, the U.S. has presented its support in the name of the human rights and freedoms of the people against dictatorial leaders."

"So why," Ibrahim queries, "is the Obama administration now asking Christians not to oppose their rulers-in this case, Islamists . . . ?"
Posted by:Steve White

#3  Well, yes. Plus they aren't armed, like the Israelis.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-07-04 11:00  

#2  I can see the Copts being blamed/targeted unfortunately from now on.
Posted by: Paul D   2013-07-04 04:50  

#1  Why should the Coptic pope cooperate with Morsi? Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood would eventually do whatever they they could to eliminate the Colts.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2013-07-04 01:21  

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