MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on recent attacks on Christian minorities in Egypt and Malaysia

19.1.2010

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Mario Mauro, Vito Bonsignore, Carlo Casini, Cristian Dan Preda, Bernd Posselt, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Filip Kaczmarek, Martin Kastler, Monica Luisa Macovei, Tunne Kelam, Bogusław Sonik on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0035/2010

B7‑0038/2010

European Parliament resolution on recent attacks on Christian minorities in Egypt and Malaysia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948,

- having regard to Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) of 1950,

- having regard to Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966,

- having regard to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion and Belief of 1981,

 

- having regard the Barcelona Declaration of November 1995;

 

- having regard the first Conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network in Cairo 26-27 January 2006;

 

- having regard its resolution of 15 November 2007 on serious events which compromise Christian communities' existence and those of other religious communities

- having regard to its annual reports on the situation of human rights in the world and its previous resolutions on religious minorities in the world,

- having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A.       Whereas on 6 January a drive-by shooting killed seven individuals, 6 Coptic     Christians and a policeman, and injured dozens of others when worshippers   were leaving a church after a midnight mass on Coptic Christmas Eve in the   city of Nagaa Hammadi in Upper Egypt;

 

B.        Whereas unresolved violence in the town of Farshoot in November 2009 was a stimulus to the shootings in Nagaa Hammadi, which were dismissed by the Egyptian Government as individual incidents, and which have in turn lead to further outbreaks of violence subsequent to 6 January;

 

C.       Considérant que le Procureur général égyptien a décidé que les trois accusés des événements de Nagaa Hammadi seront traduits devant la Cour d'urgence de Sécurité d'Etat pour meurtre par préméditation;

 

D.       Whereas Coptic Christians represent around 10 % of Egyptian population;

 

E.        Whereas recurrent acts of violence against Coptic Christians have taken place in Egypt over the past years, reflecting Egypt’s tense history of communal violence, including an attack on Abu-Fana monastery in Minya, in 2008, in which two monks and two workers were shot, attacks in Esna, Giza and Upper Egypt on Coptic businesses and homes, and the murder of two young copts in Awlad Toq Garb, in 2007, and attacks on three churches in Alexandria in 2006, which killed a 78 year old Coptic man;

 

F.        Whereas in recent weeks the ongoing debate and a court case in Malaysia

           concerning the use of the word “Allah” is followed by several attacks on

           Christian churches;

 

G.       Whereas following decision by the Malaysian government to allow only Christian communities settled in the Borneo region the use of "Allah", generates an additional discrimination among the whole Christian community in Malaysia

 

H.       Whereas on 8 January 2010 one Catholic Church and one Protestant

           Church in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, were attacked with firebombs;

 

I.         Whereas on 9 January 2010 the Good Shepered Lutheran Church and the

           Life Chapel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, were also attacked

           with firebombs;

 

J.         Whereas on 10 January 2010 attempted arson attacks were reported

           on the All Saints´Church, SMK Convent and St Louis Catholic Church

           in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia;

 

K.       Whereas the same day the outer wall of the Baptist Church in

           Malacca, Malaysia, was splashed with paint, and two broken windows

           were discovered in a church in Miri, Malaysia. The car of a pastor

           in Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia, was splashed with red paint;

 

L.       Whereas on 11 January 2010 the Sidang Injil Borneo Church in Negeri

          Sembilan, Malaysia, was attacked with firebombs;

 

M.      Whereas on 13 January the office of the lawyer of Malaysia´s Catholic

          Church in Kuala Lumpur was burgled and ransacked;

 

N.      Whereas on 14 January St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Kota Kecil,

          Johor, Malaysia, was splashed with red paint; 

1. Expresses its deep concern about the recent attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt and its solidarity with the families of the victims;

 

2. Calls on the Egyptian Authorities to ensure the personal safety and integrity of Coptic Christians and of members of other religious minorities in the country;

 

3. Takes note of the efforts made by the Egyptian Authorities to identify the authors and responsible persons of the 6 January attack;

 

4. Calls on the Egyptian Government to ensure that all persons responsible for this attack as well as for other violent acts against Coptic Christians or other religious minorities, are brought to justice in accordance with the existing laws;

5. Calls on the Egyptian government to guarantee that Copt Christians and members of all other religious minorities fully enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms and to prevent any discrimination against them;

 

     6.  Calls on the Egyptian government to respect the right of all its citizens' right to freely choose their religion, including the right for individuals to choose and change the religion listed on their national identification card;

 

7.  Calls on the Council and the Commission, in the framework of the European Union's relations and cooperation with the countries concerned, to pay particular attention to the situation of religious minorities, including Christian communities;

 

8.  Expresses its deep concern about the recent attacks against Churches in

Malaysia and its solidarity with the victims;

 

9.  Strongly condemns all acts of violence against Churches and urges the Malaysian government to bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes;

 

10. Calls on the Malaysian Authorities to ensure the personal safety and integrity of people practicing their religion and that appropriate steps are taken to protect churches and other houses of worship;

 

11. Welcomes the statement of His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Abidin issued on 9 January 2010 who asked all Malaysians to remain calm in the wake of the High Court decision on the use of the word “Allah” and respect houses of worship, irrespective of religion;

 

12. Strongly supports the declaration of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato´ Sri Najib Tun Razak on 9 January who condemned all acts of intolerance;

 

13. Calls on all religious authorities to promote tolerance and to take initiatives against hatred and violent and extremist radicalisation;

 

14. Strongly supports any initiative to promote dialogue and mutual respect between religions;

 

15. Welcomes the stand taken by a number of Muslim NGOs against religious intolerance and the attacks against churches;

 

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, to the Governments and the Parliaments of the Member States, the UN Secretary General and the UN Human Rights Council;

 

and – as far as the situation in Egypt is concerned - to all Mediterranean countries signatories to the Barcelona Declaration and the President of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly

 

     and – as far as the situation in Malaysia is concerned – to the Government of Malaysia and the governments of the ASEAN Member States.