Egypt accuses Congress of raining on Sisi's parade
Egyptian officials have reacted with anger to a US congressional resolution on the persecution of Copts in Egypt, laying blame on the Muslim Brotherhood and saying comments critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ruined Jan. 25 celebrations.
CAIRO — Egypt celebrated the seventh anniversary of the January 25 Revolution amid strong anger against what the government, parliamentary and political circles see as US interference in Egyptian affairs. In an official statement Jan. 24, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Sen. John McCain of spoiling the Jan. 25 celebrations for Egyptians. The Egyptian foreign minister rejected what he termed McCain's "flimsy claims" and criticism of the fairness of Egypt's upcoming presidential elections, in which President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is running for a second term.
On the anniversary of the January 25 Revolution, McCain called for respecting "the spirit" of the revolution and Egyptians' democratic aspirations, adding, "Yet over the past few years, we have witnessed Egypt lurch dangerously backwards. President Sisi's unprecedented crackdown on political activism and fundamental human rights has led to the imprisonment of tens of thousands of dissidents, including 19 American citizens and nearly 3,500 young people."
He said all candidates for public office should have equal opportunity, but instead a growing number of presidential candidates have been arrested and forced to withdraw, citing a repressive climate and fear of further retribution. Without genuine competition, it is difficult to see how these elections could be free or fair, McCain said.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee drafted and sent an official response Jan. 22 to the US House of Representatives' resolution on Coptic issues, committee Chairman Tarek Radwan told Al-Monitor. Based on a memorandum by Coptic Solidarity, six members of the US House of Representatives introduced a nonbinding resolution Dec. 21 titled "Expressing concern over attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt," which received bipartisan support. The resolution, which has not received a hearing, says Christians in Egypt are second-class citizens who face severe discrimination in the public and private sectors, in addition to being targeted by the Islamic State, particularly in Upper Egypt.
