Egypt Arrests Coptic Community Rights Activist amid Heightened Surveillance Measures

Egypt Arrests Coptic Community Rights Activist amid Heightened Surveillance Measures


CAIRO (RNS) — In the early hours of Nov. 23, seven plainclothes police officers arrived at the home of Ramy Kamel, a 33-year-old tailor and civil rights advocate for the Coptic community in Egypt.

At 1:45 a.m., a squad from Egypt’s Homeland Security — which has arrested hundreds of community activists, street demonstrators and independent journalists in recent months — confiscated Kamel’s books, laptop computer, digital camera and mobile phone.

Egyptian and international human rights groups say the security officers beat Kamel and proceeded to interrogate him without his lawyer present.

The following day, the Coptic activist known for advocating for Egypt’s urban poor and rural peasants was charged with joining and financing a terrorist group and disrupting public peace.  

According to the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, a nonprofit that monitors the compliance of international human rights law throughout the Arab region, the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement neighborhood also charged Kamel with inciting public opinion against the state and using social media to exacerbate tensions between Muslims and Christians.

The Coptic community, thought to number at least 15 million in a nation of 110 million, is outraged and worried.

“Ramy Kamel has been the voice of the weakest, most marginalized group in our society, especially in…

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President Trump, First Lady Illuminate the National Christmas Tree

President Trump, First Lady Illuminate the National Christmas Tree


50,000 lights illuminated President’s Park in Washington, D.C. Thursday night as President Trump and the First Lady helped light the National Christmas Tree.

After counting down from five, First Lady Melania Trump pressed the ceremonial button illuminating the Nation Christmas Tree, Thursday night. 

The tree was planted and decorated by employees of the National Parks Service and the Department of the Interior. 30 feet tall, the tree was covered by 50,000 warm white lights and 450 giant white star ornaments, the Associated Press reports.

After lighting the tree aglow, President Trump shared the birth story of Jesus Christ. 

He said, “More than 2,000 years ago, a brilliant star shone in the east. Wise men traveled far, far afield – they were a long distance away – and they came and stood … under the star where they found the Holy Family in Bethlehem.”

He continued, “As the Bible tells us, when the wise men had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and [they] fell down and worshiped him. Christians give thanks that the Son of God came into the world to save humanity.

“Jesus Christ inspires us to love one another with hearts full of generosity and grace,” the President said as he concluded the telling of Christ’s birth. 

Joining the President in celebrating the 97th year of the National Tree lighting, was the U.S. Marine Core band, the Tucson,…

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Priests named among worst drivers in the UK

Data from 7.8 million car insurance enquiries on price comparison site MoneySuperMarket, revealed nearly three in every 1,000 priests had a previous conviction for dangerous driving in the last 12 months.

Offences included racing, overtaking dangerously, ignoring traffic lights, tailgating and using a mobile phone whilst driving.

Christian racing driver and Methodist preacher Andy Haynes told Premier everyone has “momentary lapses in concentration” and recalled a time he “inadvertently went through a camera” when telling his children off in the back seat.

 

He says although “none of us are above the law” it’s important to remember that God forgives us when we slip up.

“Priests and those in service to God are all human beings and capable of giving in to temptation.”

Warehouses loaders were ranked number one for bad driving while other top culprits included car dealers, bar workers and medical advisers.

Haynes says Christians can be a witness to others in the way they behave behind the wheel and suggested the use of an ichthys (fish) symbol to keep them accountable.

“If we are identifying as Christians and we have a sticker that says so, does our behaviour at all times whilst we are driving that car demonstrate that,” he said.

Professional footballers, lawyers, and ice cream vendors were among the safest drivers on the road while men were found to be six times more likely…

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Pastor Arrested at Drag Queen Story Hour Wins in Court

Pastor Arrested at Drag Queen Story Hour Wins in Court


A pastor who was arrested while observing protests for a library’s Drag Queen Story Hour won in court Thursday when a judge dismissed the charge, ruling the pastor was not threatening or jeopardizing anyone at the event.

The case began when Pastor Afshin Yaghtin went to a public library in Spokane, Wash., Father’s Day weekend to observe Drag Queen Story Hour. Police had set up locations for protesters and counter-protesters on opposing sides of the street, but Yaghtin – not speaking or carrying a sign – stood on a strip of grass in the library parking lot. Although Yaghtin opposed the Story House, he was not protesting. 

When Yaghtin refused to join either group, he was arrested for obstructing a law enforcement officer.

Judge Tracy A. Stabb ruled Thursday that the police’s orders were not “narrowly tailored” to protect constitutionally protected speech.  

“While the City’s interest in protecting public safety is significant, there is no evidence that Mr. Yaghtin’s mere presence on public property was in any way jeopardizing the City’s interest,” Stabb wrote. “Mr. Yaghtin had every right to be standing on public property. He was not blocking traffic and was not conveying any kind of message that might incite a response. He was not being disorderly, disruptive, or aggressive.”

Further, “the grass strip where Mr. Yaghtin was standing was not closed to the public in…

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Pope Francis Wants You to Set Up a Nativity Scene to Fight Banal Consumer Christmas

Pope Francis Wants You to Set Up a Nativity Scene to Fight Banal Consumer Christmas


VATICAN CITY (RNS) — On Thursday (Dec. 5), the Vatican hosted a Christmas tree lighting ceremony ahead of the holidays, but it was the Nativity scene that stole the show.

Almost entirely made from wood, the Nativity scene ticks every box of Pope Francis’ pontificate. The plight of immigrants and refugees is depicted by the statue of a man carrying his belongings as he approaches the manger, which is the picture of poverty and humility, while the pope’s environmental message is underlined by the fact that the creche is entirely plastic-free.

In a private audience with the masons and artisans from Italy’s northern Trento region who created the creche, Pope Francis said the scene “is a genuine way of communicating the gospel, in a world that sometimes seems to be afraid of remembering what Christmas really is and eliminates Christian symbols, only to retain those drawn from a banal, commercial imagination.”

About 25 life-size characters populate this year’s scene, which depicts everyday life in the 19th century, from cheese-making to cleaning and cooking.

At its center, Mary and Joseph surround the empty manger that will host a likeness of baby Jesus on Christmas Day.

The Nativity scene is set under an almost 85-foot-tall spruce that is decorated and lit with the Vatican’s traditionally spare ornaments. During his meeting with those who donated the tree, Francis…

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Martial arts expert jailed for murdering former Mother Teresa worker

Colin Payne, 61, was found guilty of murdering Mark Bloomfield, 54, after “viciously” punching him outside the Full Moon pub in Swansea.

On Thursday, Swansea Crown Court heard “self-styled hard man” Payne launched his attack on the charity worker to “teach him a lesson” after he had brushed his girlfriend’s back with a beer can on July 18 this year.

 

Payne dragged Mr Bloomfield to the floor by his throat and kicked him in his head, before taking the attack outside and punching “two expert blows” to his head.

Mr Bloomfield was knocked to the ground after hitting his head on the concrete, never to regain consciousness, and died in hospital two days later.

A victim impact statement from his family said he had travelled the world helping charitable projects, including becoming a special assistant to Mother Teresa in Calcutta in the 1990s, where he helped people who were terminally ill have dignified deaths.

He later worked with nuns to open schools for girls across India.

Payne, who the court heard was highly trained in martial arts including jujitsu and judo, and had recently advertised himself as a bodyguard, attempted to throw a pub computer containing a CCTV recording of the attack over a nearby wall while Mr Bloomfield received CPR, though it was recovered by police.

He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and manslaughter claiming self-defence, but was…

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Rapping church leaders release festive song about saving the planet

Rev Neil Urquhart of Fullarton ConneXions and Fr Willie Boyd of St Mary’s and St John Ogilvie’s make the duo named ‘The Shoes Brothers’.

Their new song, ‘Come To Save Our Planet’, highlights current environmental issues.

 

Rev Urquhart said: “Rising tides, floods, programmes like Blue Planet and the protestations of our young people heighten awareness of the need to better care for Mother Earth.

“We want to remind folk that Jesus is passionate about green issues – [he] came to save our planet as well as us humans.

“Indeed, his first bed was a recycled animal feeder (manger).”

The Shoes Brothers partnered with a few organisations as wells as local school students for the music video.

Fr Willie added: “We love getting into the neighbourhood to celebrate community and catch people doing good.

“Once again people were so supportive and game for a laugh.

“Filming involved a few firsts, like singing in a wind turbine, dancing in a car knackers’ yard and break-dancing, though I almost needed a ‘hip-hoperation’ after it!”

‘Come To Save Our Planet’ is available for free download on Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

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An apocalyptic asteroid and a shortage of french fries: Embracing the peace that ‘surpasses all understanding’

This headline is an uplifting way to begin your Friday: “Apocalyptic asteroid strike that could wipe out humanity is ‘only a matter of time,’ top scientist warns.” Professor Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen’s University Belfast told the BBC, “We will get a serious asteroid impact sometime. It may not be in our lifetime, but mother nature controls when that will happen.”

Here’s another news item to make your day: we may be facing a french fries crisis

Crop damage due to cold and wet weather is causing a shortage of potatoes in North America. As a result, the US Department of Agriculture expects the nation’s output of potatoes to drop 6.1 percent compared to the previous year. Consequently, prices may rise and we may see a shortage of French fries in the near future. 

Here’s my question: Which of these stories feels more real to you? 

A “city-killer” NASA missed 

We’ve been warned about “killer asteroids” before, but humanity still survives. 

Fortunately, NASA assures us that it “knows of no asteroid or comet currently on a collision course with Earth, so the probability of a major collision is quite small. In fact, as best as we can tell, no large object is likely to strike the Earth any time in the next several hundred years.” 

Here’s the problem: the space agency could be wrong. 

They didn’t spot the “city-killer” asteroid that narrowly missed Earth last July until just hours before it shot past us. The manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies admitted, “This object slipped through a whole series of our capture nets, for a bunch of different reasons.”

When it comes to killer asteroids, it just takes one. But no one knows when—or if—that one will arrive. 

“The worst natural disaster in the history of North America” 

The french fries crisis, on the other hand, is a real-time problem. We may not be astrophysicists qualified to calculate the…

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Church’s candlelight march highlights calls for change in drugs policy

The Church of Scotland said the memorial at Springburn Parish Church in Glasgow is a stark reminder of the toll that substances continue to take on families and communities.

Statistics show that there were 1,187 drugs related deaths in Scotland in 2018, up 27 per cent on the previous year. The death rate is higher than any other EU country.

 

The handmade crosses, which are around 7 inches tall, were made by former addicts in recovery and were planted Friday morning ahead of a candlelight march through the streets of Springburn to remember all those who tragically lost their lives.

Around 300 people, including elected politicians and those campaigning for seats in the House of Commons, are expected to take part along with public sector workers and representatives from Police Scotland.

Rev Brian Casey, minister of Springburn Parish Church, said drug addiction must be treated as a public health emergency.

He revealed that around a third of the 500 funerals he has conducted over the last five years were drugs related.

Rev Casey, a former police officer, said: “The time has come to break the stigma that drugs related deaths are always self-inflicted.

“Addiction can affect anyone and most families will have experience of it.

“The walk will show that we all want change and improvement that leads to a drop in drug deaths and more understanding and facilities to help…

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Senior democrat scolds reporter for asking if she hates Donald Trump

Ms Pelosi told reporters at her weekly press conference Thursday that as a Catholic, she resents the suggestion that she hates anyone.

She fired back at the questioner: “Don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”

 

The reporter asked: “Do you hate the president, Madam Speaker?”

“I don’t hate anybody,” Ms Pelosi responded.

She went on to call Mr Trump, the subject of only the fourth presidential impeachment inquiry in history, a “coward” on gun policy, “cruel” on immigration and “in denial” about the climate crisis.

Earlier, Ms Pelosi announced that the House will draft articles of impeachment against Mr Trump over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrats and political rival Joe Biden as Mr Trump was withholding aid to Ukraine.

On impeachment, she told reporters: “This is about the Constitution of the United States and the facts that lead to the president’s violation of the oath of office.

“And as a Catholic I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me.”

She said she prays for Mr Trump, with whom she has faced off all year on issues like the partial government shutdown.

“I don’t hate anyone. I was raised in a way that is full heart full of love and always pray for the president and I still pray for the president. I pray for the president all the time.”

The question about hating Mr Trump came as she was leaving her weekly press…

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