Israel Matzav: Anti-Islam Coptic Christian rally in Italy goes anti-Israel instead

Monday, January 10, 2011

Anti-Islam Coptic Christian rally in Italy goes anti-Israel instead

Give Debbie Schlussel credit. She called this a week ago.

The bombing of the Copts, as well as many attacks on Copts in Egypt by Muslims over the years, are a great example of how Muslims cannot live in peace with Christians. But they are also a great example of karma. It’s a bitch, and over the weekend, the bitch was Muslim. And what goes around definitely comes around in the case of the Copts. In the case of the Copts versus the Muslims, I view it as I did the Iran-Iraq war and the larger feud between Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims. I wish it could go on forever and that both sides would lose.

The Coptic Pope Shenouda III continues to regularly deliver anti-Semitic sermons and calls Jews “Christ-killers.” And, in July 2008, he told Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper:
Jews are a cursed people who have their hands indulged in the blood of Palestinians.
He also forbade all Copts from visiting Jerusalem as long as it “remains occupied,” meaning as long as there are Jews there.

But he is not the first to incite Coptic violence against Jews. In fact, the Copts were not only extremely anti-Semitic (as they continue to be), but they often led the Muslims in pogroms against the Jews of Egypt. There are almost no Jews left in Egypt, and the Copts joined the Muslims in calling for the Jews’ expulsion. Many Jewish homes and property were taken not by Muslims, but by Copts.

Read the whole thing. In fact, Debbie called it a year ago.

Pam Geller and Robert Spencer report on a Coptic Christian rally in Milan, Italy on Sunday, in which Copt supporters turned on Israel supporters who turned out at the rally. This is from Pam.

Atlas reader Paolo was at a Coptic Christian rally in Italy against Islamic genocide of Coptic Christians:
Today January 9th 2011 in the Duomo Square, Milano, Italy, a rally was held by the Copts of Milano along with some supporting Italian organizations; among them there were the Northen Ligue, the "Amo l'Italia - I love Italy", Magdi Allam's party, and ADI (Amici di Israele - Friends of Israel).

Near the end of the gathering, the people from ADI put on their shoulders the Israeli flag. The Copts reacted violently refusing the presence of the Israeli flags. The police had to intervene to separate them and oblige the ADI people to leave the gathering.

Robert still holds out hope that the Copts and the Jews might work together.

Historically, Islamic supremacist masters did their best to sow discord among different dhimmi communities, keeping them apart and at odds with one another, but those communities today only work against their own best interests by refusing to ally together. Bat Ye'or spoke the truth when she called upon the historical dhimmi groups -- primarily Jews and Christians -- to recognize that the jihad targets them for the same oppression and subjugation and to work together to resist that jihad.

In the same spirit, I have long called for an alliance of all those whose conversion, subjugation, or death is envisioned by the adherents of Sharia. We should stand together as Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, secularists, and resist those who would kill us or subject us to institutionalized discrimination. And while some Middle Eastern Christian leaders remain mired in antisemitism and dhimmi attitudes of intellectual and political subservience, others are breaking out of it.

Not all Copts are antisemitic: in mid-December several fiercely pro-Israel Zionists spoke at the Voice of the Copts' International Human Rights Day conference in Washington -- including Pamela Geller and me. Those who continue in antisemitic attitudes, like those at this rally in Milan, are not only working against the interests of their own community, but also against justice and truth.

Well, maybe. And maybe Debbie really only meant the Copts in Egypt. But I don't think so. Too many branches of Christianity have too strong a history of anti-Semitism, which existed long before Islam came along. While I'm happy for anyone who is willing to oppose radical Islam (and am skeptical that there is any other kind), as far as the other religions of the world, I can only go by what the rabbis tell me: Kabdeyhu v'Chashdeyhu (respect him and be wary of him). That seems to be the best advice in dealing with the Copts.

Labels: Alexandria church terror attack, Amici di Israele, Christian Copts, Milan, Pamela Geller, Pope Shenouda III, Robert Spencer