U.S. Copts Association

Rights group highlights ‘increasing incidence’ of gruesome methods by Ethiopian forces in Somalia.
NAIROBI - Ethiopian troops in Somalia are increasingly resorting to throat-slitting executions, Amnesty International (AI) said Tuesday in a new report on the killing of civilians in Somalia.

The report by the rights watchdog said the blame for civilian deaths was shared by all parties in the conflict, but highlighted an “increasing incidence” of gruesome methods by Ethiopian forces.
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State-backed body representing Muslims in France shrouded in uncertainty once again.
PARIS - The future of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), the state-backed body meant to represent the country’s second-largest religion, is once again shrouded in uncertainty.

The Grand Mosque of Paris (GMP) announced on Saturday it would boycott elections next month for the CFCM leadership.
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By Dean Yates

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military has “multiple” detainees who say the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah is providing training near Tehran for Iraqi militants, a senior military official said on Monday.

Colonel Donald Bacon, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said interrogation transcripts from these detainees were recently given to the Iraqi government.
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By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict and the Archbishop of Canterbury discussed Christian-Muslim relations on Monday in their first meeting since the Anglican leader caused a storm with comments on the role of Sharia law in Britain.

The Vatican said the Pope had received Rowan Williams in a private audience but gave no details.
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News outlets call Egyptian President a hero amid rising public fury over country’s state of economy.
By Jailan Zayan - CAIRO

President Hosni Mubarak celebrates his 80th birthday on Sunday amid a wave of popular discontent marked by a call for Egyptians to stay at home in protest at price hikes and curbs on freedom.

But the call for the nationwide strike - the second in a month - failed to draw any response as Egyptians went to work as normal and Cairo traffic was heavy.
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Nader Shukry-Emad Khalil

For Copts, the fortnight preceding Easter is usually a busy, happy time of preparation for the major feast of the Resurrection and the pharaonic-old spring feast of Sham al-Nessim. This year, however, the happy expectation was marred by incidents of sectarian hatred in two villages some 500 kilometres apart along the eternal Nile valley.

Palm Sunday attack
In the village of Qasr Hur close to the monastery of Abu-Fana in Minya some 250km south of Cairo, Copts were celebrating Palm Sunday in the village church. As Holy Mass ended early afternoon, the congregation began leaving the church and heading to their homes, in preparation for the evening Pascha service which is held every evening during Passion Week. The last group to leave was suddenly attacked by a group of men carrying sticks and clubs. Five Copts were injured: Samuel Kamel, Ashraf Menassa, Ishaq Nessim, Hany Samir and Baha’ Samir.
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There is heightened security in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, following a call by activists for a strike in protest against rising food prices.

Extra police were also deployed in the Nile Delta town of Mahalla el-Kobra, which saw clashes last month between striking textile workers and police.
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As the Egyptian regime is confronted by an unprecedented series of strikes, demonstrations, and riots, an extremely timely new book argues that the country is about to witness a popular revolution.

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Authorities now accuse Shi Weihan as ‘dangerous religious element.’

LOS ANGELES, May 2 (Compass Direct News) - An advocacy organization reported this week that Chinese authorities now accuse a Beijing businessman of being a “dangerous religious element” - which a long-time friend dismissed as contrary to Christian bookstore owner Shi Weihan’s gentle, patriotic nature.
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By Heba Saleh
BBC News, Cairo

Liberal and left-wing political activists in Egypt have called for a general strike on Sunday to protest against rising prices.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition force in the country, has endorsed the call.

Attempts at a similar strike last month drew a feeble response.
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