I would like to share a letter on the Internet from egypt. I have a Christian website for Christian networking, and there are continuously updates about terrible events in egypt. I have promised the writer that she is anonymous, but she hopes that the world is about to react, the situation is critical, but there is no focus on the problem, because so much is happening in the world right now.

Dear Tom
 What happened during the elections was that the Muslims brotherhood pressured the simple Muslim families in order to vote for the... Paid them money, told them in mosques that supporting the liberal party is like wanting the Christians to take over the country, and told them that if they don't vote for the Muslim brotherhood they are doomed for hell. See, 60 % of the Egyptian community is illiterate but they are the majority and they tend to believe anything they are told if referenced from the Quran. I also heard from several people that they were piling up tons of voting papers right after the elections and burning them! To others watching from the outside, we seemed to have a real democratic procedure here... But we didn't. Also, the Muslim brotherhood (MB) and the Salafists succeeded in changing the attitude of the simple Muslim families to turn against the Christians. We are today considered by most of them strangers in our own country. If one Muslim testifies (in truth or lie) against any christian, that Christian is doomed! That's how things are here in Egypt today. What is worse, Muslims kidnap teenage girls and young women, rape them, and force them into becoming Muslims. If they refuse, they are beaten up and tortured until they give in or until the die. It's not much different than the persecution at the time of the Romans except that those who have money are very much able to buy way out. Unfortunately, only those who live here experience this and know much more about it than most people who live in the developed world. Nonetheless, I am glad that the truth is starting to spread... Even if slowly.
Please pray for christians here. Thanks. God bless you all

Thank you. my mistake

Tom, I am trying to assess the information your correspondant has given you - but I have so very little background information to place it in context.

We have seen some truly heinous accusations posted here against Israelis/Zionists/Jews - and I just can't uncritically accept such accusations against Muslims.

That isn't 'not caring':  it's wanting to not react before I have more info and more reliable info.  You can read for yourself here how some are convinced, for example, that the Syrian opposition are 'all outsiders' (I guess they don't remember how we Americans had NA allies in the Revolutionary War AND a French fleet, AND some other 'foreign aid'?)

And if you recall, just after Iraq invaded Kuwait, there was that story about babies taken off respirators and left in the Kuwaiti hospitals to die?  That one turned out to be false....

At the same time:  I understand that it adds to the misery to realize that people don't believe you, the poor woman who wrote to you.

But let's just say that the situation of Egyptian Christians is bad and getting worse - what is it that you think people might do to help?  Has this lady given you any suggestions?

My inclination as an American who's comfortably middle-class, is to throw money at it.  IE, to contribute funds to a program to bring some of these people to the US and integrate them into our society.  It's true we have some economic problems of our own - but from what I've seen of people running to the US because someone is trying to kill them, they make really dedicated and productive fellow citizens.  Like my own grandparents and millions of others.

Where are there Coptic communities which could integrate these people?  Are there nations aside from the US where the culture is already represented?   What is really needed is a coordinated multinational effort to rescue all who want to leave AND a diplomatic effort to pressure the Egyptian Government to oppose this oppression.  But since Egypt is in flux, that may simply not be possible.....

Tom, if a person who speaks 2 languages is 'bilingual' and one who speaks 3 is 'trilingual' - what do we call the person who only speaks *one* language?

"American"  : ((

Tom, thank you for letting us know more about your background.  I do not mean to sound mistrustful - but as I posted, there have been many inaccurate stories told : ((

I've heard how Scandinavian countries which have generous social support policies have been overwhelmed by immigrants : ((  I also remember something like 15 years or more ago, one of my husband's coworkers from the Netherlands who was talking about the high taxes in Holland to pay for all those programs, something like 50% of his income.  And he said there were other Dutch who chose not to work but live on the state support and called him a fool for working.....Don't know the answer to that problem, either - well, not for this board!

So I don't doubt what you've said - or think that you're being unfair or selfish to mention that situation.  I imagine that Denmark is also more homogeneous than the US by far, and that a large group of 'different' folk would be harder to integrate.  We've already got some of 'everyone' here, and pretty much always have... 

Yes, each country needs to find a balance between compassion and practicality.  And why should the Christians have to leave Egypt anyway???

The publicity is probably a good way to start.  The more reports there are, the more people *might* realize they could do something to help....

I agree with you about imams or ANY 'clergy' or 'leaders' who tell people such things about 'Hell' to control them : ((  

Oh, and THANK YOU! to the Danish people for the rescue-by-evacuation of my co-religionists who were your fellow citizens.