Last month, the Islamic State beheaded 21 Coptic Christian men along the Libyan shore. A graphic video of this event horrified the world. The Copts, who had gone to Libya as migrant workers, had been hunted down in their residences and separated from neighbors on the basis of their Christian faith before being killed. In response, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took immediate military and diplomatic action against IS, defending the Copts as “innocent victims.”
Coptic Christians – members of the ancient church of Egypt and the largest Christian denomination in the Middle East – are no strangers to religious persecution. However, this is the most significant assault on them since Muslim Brotherhood supporters attacked scores of Coptic churches in August 2013 after the overthrow of President Morsi. How does the growing IS threat in northern Africa affect Christian communities in the region?
On March 18th, Nina Shea and Samuel Tadros, both of Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, joined His Grace Bishop Angaelos for an in-depth discussion of the threats facing the Coptic community.
Join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for a fireside discussion on how Congress can guide American strategy, the need to modernize the defense industrial base, and the vital role of allies and partners in an unstable international environment.
Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Robert McDowell for a discussion of the book and communications law with the authors, Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Kirk Arner, and Arielle Roth.
Please join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a discussion on Central Asia’s economic and strategic significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking the region’s potential in an era of renewed great power competition.
