Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Congress has been examining the plight of Egypt’s
Coptic minority.

A House delegation toured Coptic communities and met senior Egyptian
officials to determine the Muslim Brotherhood threat to the Christian
minority.

The delegation is said to have urged Egyptian leaders to protect the Copts, who comprise about 10 percent of the population.

“We are with you people of Egypt against the common threat, the Muslim Brotherhood,” Rep. Michele Bachmann said. “We have diversity of opinion in
Washington, but be sure the people of Egypt are standing with Egypt against the Brotherhood terror.”

The House delegation met Defense Minister Abdul Fatah Sisi, deemed Egypt’s de facto ruler, and pledged to maintain U.S. military support to Cairo. But the eight-member bipartisan delegation, which also met Coptic
Pope Tadraous, demanded that Egypt intensify its crackdown on the Islamist insurgency, particularly the Brotherhood.

“We were opposed to send military assistance to the Muslim Brotherhood
regime before your revolution, but now we will work on getting all military
assistance needed to fight the jihadists and the terrorists,” Rep. Louie
Gohmert said.

The delegation was said to have visited churches torched by Brotherhood
fighters. Tadraous told the House members that dozens of churches were
destroyed in wake of the military overthrow of Egypt’s first Islamist
president, Mohammed Morsi, in July 2013.

“The community paid a dear price, dozens of churches were burned down,”
Tadraous said. “But if these sacrifices help in bringing freedom to Egypt,
we consent.”

The House delegation was said to have been the result of intensive
lobbying by Coptic Americans. In June, the Coptic Solidarity Conference was
held on Capital Hill to brief House and Senate members of the threat to
Christians in Egypt.

“This delegation brought hope to Egyptians that the American public
stands firmly with the democratic revolution, support the aspirations of the
30 million Egyptians who marched for freedom and is a partner in the
struggle against terrorism,” Walid Phares, who advises members of Congress
on Egyptian issues, said.

  Abdul Fatah Sisi, Coptic Pope Tadraous, Muslim Brotherhood, Rep. Michele Bachmann, U.S. delegation presses Egypt’s leadership to protect Coptic Christians