A Coptic Illusion, Part II

National Press Club, NPC, event attendance varies event to event.

Months earlier, no media attended a press conference held by American women formerly married to Saudi National husbands, despite some of the wives alleging their husbands were asked to participate in the 911 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Then Wednesday the 17th, less than an hour before a press conference called for by the US Copts Association took place, a handful of media in the Zenger Room had crossed the hall from where Christian Broadcast Networks founder Pat Robertson dropped his bombshell statements- the United Nations should be done away with and that Israeli Prime Minister Sharons disengagement plan for Gaza threatens the security of Israel and its citizens. Elevators heading to the top floor were filled with media. There is something about the scent of blood that draws crowds and journalists. Especially when the blood belongs to an immigrant family discovered tethered, their necks sliced and bored like cows at slaughter.

The press conference started late. Media, responding to the US Copts Association press release the Garas family from New Jersey wanted to speak to reporters, packed the room. The press conference was little more than a month after Hossam, 47, Amal, 37, Sylvia, 15 and Monica, 8, Armanious, of Hudson County, New Jerseys Jersey City, were discovered. Sylvias 16th birthday.

The wait time for the Garas family was used by attending NGOs, non governmental organizations, to hand reporters the organizations press releases. The room quieted when Garas single filed in, men and woman, in black - Ayman, brother of Amal; Emad Fahmy, brother-in-law of Amal; uncles Emil, Gameel, Alphonse and Milad, stood behind the lectern. Amals mother Ferail, worn from her flight, exhausted by the loss of her daughter and granddaughters, sat to the side. Ferail speaks little English, My Monica, she said. Tears flooded her eyes. Looking skywards, Ave maria.
Monica, 8, was bound, gagged alongside her sister Sylvia and their parents, Hossam, 47, and Amal, 37, their throats sliced. And bored.
Monicas wrists were slit. Relatives said they had not seen other family members wrists. They were shrouded. Ayman, Amals brother expressed the conviction that brought a family in mourning to speak to national media.
Over 6 feet tall, he pulled himself taller, looking tat the ceiling. Tears welled in his eyes. Whoever said men dont cry, never saw a man who witnessed the bloody carnage of his sister, her children.

Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick, Washington representative of Christian Solidarity International, secretary General of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights stood in front of media gathered at the National Press Clubs headquarters by the US Copts Association. Roderick said: The fact that this press conference is taking place in Washington, DC rather than in Jersey City points to the broader impact of this case. US Copts headquarters are three floors beneath the Press Club. Roderick said, Many non-Muslim immigrants have told me that they believed that when they fled to the United States, they would be safe, referring to religious persecution and violence by Jihadists in their native countries. This case is unnerving. The delay in pursuing leads indicating a hate crime risks a terrible miscarriage of justice. Roderick said earlier, To avoid pursuit of what may be the most obvious motive of the murder for fear of maligning one part of the Jersey City community or creating a backlash against that community is irresponsible.

Rodericks NGO was one of several human rights organizations Michael Meunien, president of the US Copts Association invited to join with the bereaved Garas family adressing misconceptions the press published.

The Jubilee Campaign presented their NGOs letter congratulating Alberto Gonzales on his confirmation as Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice. Jubilee urged Gonzales to take a strong leadership role insisting the federal investigation into the Armanious murders be carried out professionally and thoroughly and by ensuring particulars of this case do not lead to policies or decisions on the part of the Justice Department that will have a chilling effect on religious expression in our country. The Jubilee Campaign said what may have been a hate crime stemming from a religious dispute is of concern to their coalition because Armanious expression of his religious views in an Internet chatroom may have contributed to his death and the deaths of his wife and daughters, hastening to note investigating authorities have as of yet drawn no conclusions about the murders religious motivation, assuring if the allegations prove true our concerns are obvious.

American Jewish Community legislative director and counsel, Richard T.
Foltin, provided reporters copies of his NGOs letter sent to Hudson County New Jerseys Prosecutor, Edward J. De Fazio. Acknowledging facts determining the horrific murders a hate crime are yet not known, the AJC addressing the heightened sense of fear in the Coptic community, asked ethnic, religious and community groups to stand together and speak out against the intimidation inherent in such a crime. One reporter, present, identified himself as a Muslim. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, despite having issued prior public statements on the murder was not present at the press conference.

Michael Meunier founded the US Copts Association to raise awareness to the Copts plight within Egypt, seeking to educate the Coptic community of their human rights, democracy and religious freedom in the Diaspora.
Meunier said a new organization was needed because Coptics, frustrated with existing Copts-Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Coptic Advocacy Groups in the United States, sought an attractive alternative to voice concerns reflecting the changing needs of Americas Coptic Community in the world. The Association says Coptics are the largest Christian population in the Middle East. One hour earlier, Pat Robertson said, across the hall, Christians are the fastest growing group in the world.

The US Copt Association, founded in 1996, established local chapters nationwide, developing an Arabic-English daily digest for thousands of readers, arranging speaking tours enabling their Board of Directors to educate media, political and enforcement representatives on critical matters affecting the Coptic community and motivated interventions concerning the Christian minority in Egypt. At the 59th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Meunier, its president, testified 11 to 13 million Copts in Egypt had been forced to live under dhimmi, inferior non-Muslim status, and pay an annual jizia, punitive tax, to practice their faith where the Egyptian Constitution says Islam is the religion of the state and Shariah, Islamic Jurisprudence, the principal source of legislation. Meuniers Board takes credit for exposing detiriorating Copts human rights conditions within Egypt. Meunier says his visits to the Capital prompted Congressional member letters written to Egypts President Mubarak demanding Coptic victims receive funds to compensate for loss of income and life from Islamic violence. Meunier says crucial language in the appropriation bill directing US funding to Egypt, and influence in legislation such as the Freedom From Religious Persecution Act- an act aimed at monitoring religious tolerance in the international arena evolved from his US Copts Association lobbying efforts.

Four months before the Garas murders, Meunier joined the US Copts Association with FBI, British Parliament and European Union representatives. The Feds are seeking to expand their recruitment towards Arabic-speaking individuals familiar with Coptic Christian and Islamic cultures. The Coptic Diocese of Los Angeles hosted a Coptic-Community Meet The FBI Banquet, at Garden Grove Californias Hyatt Regency, familiarizing the FBI to American Copts and introducing Copts with the FBIs mission, efforts and future needs, like finding who murdered, like trussed sheep, a daughter, son-in-law and two grand daughters, before it happens again.

US Copts Board Member Dr. Kamal Ibrahim, His Grace Bishop Serapion, FBI assistant director Mark S Bullock, and FBI Los Angeles Division, Assistant Director in Charge, Ronald L. Iden, stressed Copts can contribute to the nations security from terrorism through civic involvement. Bishop Serapion gave an introduction of Copt culture, history and traditions. The Bishop described Copts patriotic history in Egypt. Meunier said Copts, with a long history of suffering under Islamic terrorism and continuing oppression, are best equipped to fight terrorism with the FBI, domestically and internationally. Two FBI Copt employees were on hand to answer questions. Bullock said the Bureau needs Arabic-speaking individuals.

Amal Garas family described Hossam Armanious as an outspoken advocate for Coptic Christian religious freedom in Egypt. Newsreports described him as a well-known leader of online ministry to the Muslim-American community, seeking to bring his religion to others. Garas family members held up hands, displaying Copt tattoos. Media misreported tattoos on wrists were slashed. Corrected, wrists were slit. The Garas said the tradition of Copt cross hand tattoos began as a tradition to never forget Egyptians tattooing crosses on Coptics hands to identify them as Christians in a Muslim culture. Similar to yellow stars and numbers Nazis used to identify Jews.

Ferails son, Ayman, knelt beside his grieving mother. Hossams family was in Egypt. They would not be attending the memorial for their daughter-in-law, grandchildren and son. Meunier said Armanious family held an alternative funeral for their son. Ferail wept.

The familys official statement made clear the Garas want to solve the murders. They do not want to further erode fragile Coptic and Islamic community relations, we seek only justice for our slain family members and make no accusations as to who committed this crime or why it was carried out in such a vengeful and premeditated manner.

Amals uncle confirmed Amal was wearing her $3500 ring when her body was discovered; other expensive pieces of jewelry were in the house when their bodies were discovered; the family was not aware of other jewelry that might have been taken; Amals cousin said Armanious rarely kept more than $100 in their house; the postal worker and dining hall servers family gold was stolen a year earlier; loans including $120,000 mortgage were paid down; the family was unaware if Armanious owed money. Amals brother-in-law rhetorically asked reporters if robbery was the motive, why would the murderer have killed each person in such a cruel and vindictive manner, holes bored in their necks, beneath the slits, Internet-Hagannah reported, were large enough to turn a knife around.

A few months after Wall Street Journal reporter Jonathan Eric Lewis wrote many Copts chose emigration to the US over the alternative of living as second class citizens in an increasingly Islamic Egypt, the Garas family denied there was truth to stories the Armanious murders were an Egyptian life for a possible life vendetta killing as was reported to enforcement as a motive. Amals uncle said, months after Theo Van Goghs public slaying in Amsterdam along with Westerner beheadings broadcast repeatedly over the Internet, the old country vendetta theory, in their opinion lacks credibility because such common practice decades ago in Egypt are no longer practiced in modern society, continuing, if it was a vendetta, the logical attack would be family members in Egypt not here in the US.
Amals uncle felt Hossams 2002 visit to Egypt played no role in the murders. The uncle stated, twice, the Armanious came to Jersey City, for the same reason other immigrants did, to pursue their dream.

Relatives confirmed there was no sign of forced entry into the Armanious
home. No questions were asked about Armanious former tenant rumored to have held a grudge with Hossam.

At the end of the press conference, one photojournalist asked about the Copt Associations comfort zone with enforcements ability to interface within Coptic and Muslim communities. Meunier said best effort is being done to communicate the ins and outs of Coptical history to enforcement.
Privately, Meunier said current officers on the force are unfamiliar with this culture of Islamic murder displayed at the Armanious murder site and the viceration, a year earlier, of a pregnant wife and her mother by a local Muslim politician. Allegedly, the women refused convert to Islam.
Meunier expressed concern over crime analysis. Hate crimes are being misreported as murders, assaults, stalking, and vice versa.

Amals brother Ayam admitted their family was unaware Hossam preached Christianity on Pal-Talk. Jihad Watch host Robert Spencer viewed barsomyat.com, a password protected Arabic Web site featuring pictures and information about Christians active in debating Muslims on PalTalk, after being advised the photos, names and addresses of Christians, innocently participating in web talk chatrooms are being huunted down then exposed to potential danger through publication on the Net. Internet-Hagannah, tracking such sites discovered one site hosted in Minnesota, another in Quebec, others in the Netherlands. Once uncovered by media watchers, the sites are closed then re-opened under new URLs. Spencer wrote "It's chilling to see photographs of people who probably have no idea that they're on the Web site. Hamas' site posts congratulatory accounts of their attacks on civilians, but barsomyat.com's users are telegraphing their intended victims in advance." Spencer said the Internet is a "prime example" of how some Islamic extremists utilize technology to attempt to bring Islamic religious law to the West.

Meunier announced the familys upcoming memorial service. Copts will be there. As well as empathetic mourners. And as Enforcement hopes, murderers, who like arsonists, coming back to view their handiwork, to gloat. Or for a second strike. As terrorists do.

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