IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 49 

Supporting Coptic Christians in Egypt. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2019 

Mr. HILL of Arkansas (for himself, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. BARR, Mr. CORREA, 

Mr. BOST, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. DAVID P. 

ROE of Tennessee, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. ROUZER, and 

Mr. BABIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting Coptic Christians in Egypt. 

Whereas St. Mark brought Christianity to Egypt, where Coptic Christians have been one of the indigenous people of 

Egypt for over 2,000 years; 

Whereas there are over 10,000,000 Copts in Egypt, making 

the Copts the largest Christian and the largest non-Muslim community in the Middle East; 

Whereas Copts and other Christians have been targets of societal aggression resulting in the loss of life, property, 

and the destruction of churches; 

Whereas, in January 2015, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi 

was the first Egyptian President to make an appearance 

at a Coptic Christian Christmas liturgy; 


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•HRES 49 IH 

Whereas, in August 2016, Egypt passed Law 80 to streamline the church construction process; 

Whereas, as of November 2018, of the approximately 3,800 

unlicensed churches awaiting legalization, authorities 

have conditionally recognized only 627; 

Whereas there are 39 members of Egypt’s Parliament that 

are Coptic; 

Whereas, in 2018, President el-Sisi appointed the first Coptic 

female Governor, Dr. Manal Awad Mikhael, to Damietta 

Governorate and a Coptic man, Dr. Gamal Gad Saad as 

Governor of Daqahleya Governorate; 

Whereas previously there were no Copts among the 27 Governors and 18 Deputy Governors in the entire country; 

Whereas Coptic Christians face discrimination in Egypt’s 

public-sector employment, including the police force, 

armed services, education, the judiciary, and the foreign 

service; 

Whereas Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released a 

video calling Copts their ‘‘favorite prey’’ and warning of 

increased attacks; 

Whereas violence against Coptic Christians, particularly in 

local villages, is rarely punished, making Copts more susceptible to attacks; 

Whereas Egyptian Government officials frequently participate 

in informal reconciliation sessions to address incidents of 

sectarian violence or tension, saying that such sessions 

prevented further violence; 

Whereas according to human rights groups, the reconciliation 

sessions have regularly led to outcomes unfavorable to reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:10 Jan 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR49.IH HR49

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ligious minorities and precluded recourse to the judicial 

system by such minorities; 

Whereas, in the summer of 2017, Egypt’s security apparatus 

warned churches against attacks and urged them to cancel their summer activities for fear of attacks by 

Islamists; 

Whereas civil society institutions, women’s rights organizations, nongovernmental organizations (both national and 

foreign) have been shut down or their activities severely 

curtailed; 

Whereas journalists, thinkers, and dissenters have been silenced or imprisoned; 

Whereas United States diplomatic leadership contributes 

meaningfully and materially to the international protection of religious minorities and their faith-based practices 

and places of worship; 

Whereas the United States has a strong interest in combatting the threat of Islamic terrorism and ensuring the stability of the region; and 

Whereas religious freedom and human rights are an essential 

cornerstone of democracy that promotes respect for individual liberty and contributes to greater stability and are 

priority values for the United States in promoting its engagement with other countries: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) acknowledges the central and historic im3 portance of the United States-Egypt partnership in 

4 advancing the common interests of both countries; 


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•HRES 49 IH 

1 (2) appreciates Egypt’s regional role as a part2 ner in the fight against terrorism and violent extre3 mism; 

4 (3) recognizes the necessity for Egypt’s leaders 

5 to take steps toward education reform that prioritize 

6 impartial instruction of all religions and political re7 form that prioritizes human rights, fundamental 

8 freedoms, and the rule of law; 

9 (4) urges the Government of Egypt to enact se10 rious and legitimate reforms to ensure Coptic Chris11 tians are given the same rights and opportunities as 

12 all other Egyptian citizens; and 

13 (5) urges the Government of Egypt to take ad14 ditional steps to end the culture of impunity for at15 tacks on Christians, to continue to undertake the ar16 rest, prosecution, and conviction of individuals who 

17 carry out attacks on Copts and other Christians in 

18 Egypt, and to hold accountable Government officials 

19 who fail to enforce the law. 

Æ 


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