A Message to President Obama From Christian Copts of California: Reconciliation With...

A Message to President Obama From Christian Copts of California:
Reconciliation With the Islamic World is a Two-Way Street

LOS ANGELES, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On June 4, 2009, Mr. Obama will
be traveling to Cairo, the Egyptian Capital, to deliver a message to the
Islamic World. The speech is expected to address ways to mend the differences
between the Islamic World and the United States. The hope is for the speech to
bring some kind of reconciliation between the two.

The relationship between the United States and the Islamic World has suffered
serious setbacks in recent years. The Muslim World has been voicing feelings
of grievances against the USA. As a result many Muslim radical groups emerged
with agendas opposing the USA. The groups perpetrated a series of major
attacks against Americans and U.S. interest worldwide. In 1983 the U.S.
Embassy in Beirut was targeted, killing 63. Later that same year came the
suicide bomber attack on U.S. marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 marines.
The Muslim Radicals dealt the USA a triple dosage of terrorism in 1996. The
U.S. complex in Riyadh was bombed, killing 19; so were the American Embassies
in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 223. They struck the USS Cole in Aden in 2000
and 17 American sailors perished. The culminating terrorist attack was on New
York's Twin Towers World Trade Center, on 9/11 of 2001. It was the worst
terrorist attack against the United States in modern history. The Twin Towers
were completely destroyed and about 3,000 Americans were killed.

Of course, it is crucial for the USA to listen to the Islamic World's point of
view. I hope somebody tells them it is equally crucial for them to listen to
America's point of view. Historically the USA has done sufficient favors for
the Muslim World to earn respect rather than such vehement hatred. Somebody
needs to remind them the USA has been good to them. A large part of U.S.
foreign aid has been going to Islamic countries. Recently, American soldiers
protected Muslims in Kosovo against Christian Serbs. Were it not for American
technologies and ingenuity the vast oil reserves under the sands of the Middle
East would have likely remained undiscovered and undeveloped. Without America,
the oil fields of the Gulf Islamic States would go unprotected from outside
aggressors. Ironically, some of such are neighboring Muslim nations. Somebody
needs to remind the Muslim World that polite reciprocity for generous
kindnesses shown is supposedly an Islamic custom.

Internally, Muslims seeking residency on USA soil have been welcomed with open
arms. American Muslims enjoy the same freedoms, equality and justice every
American citizen expects. There are no restrictions on their religious
practices and they are free to expend efforts to convert as many Americans as
they can to Islam. Mosques, Islamic centers and schools are freely built
allover the country. Such freedoms are most definitely not offered to those of
other faiths within the boundaries of the Islamic World. An example is Egypt,
the capital of the Islamic World, where Mr. Obama has chosen to deliver his
speech. Egyptian Muslims seeking to convert to Christianity or to any other
faith are not permitted to do so. Christians need presidential decrees to
build new churches and governor's approval to repair existing ones. There have
been instances where Christians were arrested for praying in their homes
without a permit. Egypt's Christians number around 15% of the nation's total
population. Yet, they are represented by less than 1/2 % of elected
parliamentary representatives. An imposed quota on some jobs limits the hiring
of Christians to 2% or less. Many high ranking jobs are completely out of
reach of Christians.

Mr. Obama: reconciliation cannot be separated from reciprocation. The Islamic
World must not demand from us that which they are unwilling to retune to us
and to extend to their own citizens of other religious. I hope you help them
understand reconciliation is a two-way street.

SOURCE Christian Copts of California

Mounir Bishay of Christian Copts of California, +1-310-641-3387,
calcopts@sbcglobal.net