Bombing of Saints Church

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, shortly after midnight Mass during the early hours of New Year's Day, a heinous suicide bombing attack at the Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt, killed 21 innocent worshippers and injured dozens of others.

My condolences go out to the families of the victims and to the Coptic community. This was a devastating loss for the Christian community in Egypt and Christian communities around the world, including in my home State of Illinois.

I urge the Egyptian government to work swiftly and within the rule of law to bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice.

The Obama administration already has offered U.S. law enforcement assistance, which I encourage Egypt to accept--particularly in light of findings that indicate al-Qaida or other international terrorism networks were involved.

Unfortunately, this bombing attack is not an isolated incident in Egypt. Just about one year ago, three men armed with automatic weapons killed six Christian churchgoers as they emerged from a Christmas Mass service in the Egyptian town of Naga Hammadi, along with one Muslim off-duty police officer.

While I commend the Egyptian government's quick arrest and ongoing prosecution of the four suspects in that case, the fact that these incidents of violence against their own Christian community have continued in Egypt is very worrying.

Coptic Christians have been practicing their faith in Egypt since antiquity. Egypt is home to some of the oldest Christian schools in the world, where students have been taught theology and the text of the Bible. Coptic Christians are an important part of Egyptian society and make up approximately ten percent of Egypt's population. Protecting them and other religious minorities from acts of violence should be a top priority for the Egyptian government.

The New Year's bombing in Egypt is, unfortunately, also part of a disturbing pattern of violence against religious minorities in the Middle East.

For example, on October 31, 2010, Our Lady of Salvation Church in Iraq was the victim of a vicious attack by an al-Qaida affiliate, where over 50 innocent lives were taken.

Such despicable acts of aggression should not be tolerated. They force minority communities, who deserve greater protection, to live in fear of random acts of violence.

Such violence and discrimination cause members of minority communities to become refugees in their own country or to seek refuge in other countries. The ability of religious minorities to worship freely and safely should be a basic tenent of any modern society.

It is incumbent on Egypt, as a leader in the Middle East, to promote an atmosphere of tolerance where members of all religions are given an equal opportunity to thrive and participate in the life of the country.

Earlier, Senator Whitehouse joined me in a letter to President Mubarak expressing our concern for the protection of minority communities in Egypt, including the lack of representation that Coptic Christians have in government as well as the government's failure to fully prosecute those responsible for acts of violence against Coptic Christians in the past.

We are concerned that the current situation may embolden extremists

and foster increasing religious intolerance and sectarian violence.

I have joined Senator Robert Menendez on a resolution condemning the New Year's Day attack in Egypt and expressing condolences to all Egyptians who have suffered from terrorist attacks in the past.

Egypt has a reputation as a peaceful, moderate Arab state, where, as provided under its laws, all faiths are free to practice their religion without fear of retribution or violence. Egypt is a leader in the region and a close friend of the United States. But there is no place in Egyptian society for the kind of extremists who attacked and killed peaceful churchgoers on New Year's Day.

I again express my deepest condolences to the members of Saints Church and join all of America in prayers for the victims of this tragedy.

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