EGYPTIAN COPTIC ACTIVISTS EXPLAIN PROBLEMS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000102 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSCSTAFF FOR PASCUAL, DRL/IRF FOR COFSKY E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2018 TAGS: KIRF PHUM EG SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN COPTIC ACTIVISTS EXPLAIN PROBLEMS WITH MECA REF: A. CAIRO 3256 ¶B. CAIRO 3351 ¶C. CAIRO 3398 ¶D. CAIRO 3357 Classiied By: Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Jones for Reson 1.4(d). 1.(C) Summary: In a January 14 meting, Dr. Adel Fawzi, the former leader of the Middle East Christians Association's (MECA) Egyptchapter, and Victor George, a former MECA member highlighted to us a schism between MECA's now moibund Egyptian chapter and MECA's Canada-based hadquarters. Fawzi reported that, following his arest and release 90 days later, he had resigned fom MECA because he found its tactics counter-prouctive. George also said he had left the organizaion, both because he disagreed with tactics and ecause he felt threatened by Egyptian authorities. End summary. ¶2. (C) Adel Fawzi, an obstetriian, first became acquainted with MECA in early 007 through webchats on the organization's "Paltak" website. He found the content of the site prvocative and insulting to both Christianity and slam, but said he thought he could play a moderatig role through his postings. Nadir Fawzi (no reation),MECA's Toronto-based leader, took note an invited him to lead a MECA chapter in Egypt. Adl assembled five other Egyptian Paltalk participants and registered the group. According to Adel, the organization's membership in Egypt never consisted of more than the six original members. ¶3. (C) Police arrested Adel in August 2007 and held him until November 4 without charges. He attributes his arrest to postings made by other MECA members outside of Egypt on Paltalk that were offensive to Islam. George was arrested on November 10, with Wagi Yacoub, a MECA member, and lawyer Mamdouh Azmeh, who was not a MECA member and had only done legal work for the organization. George claims that he was arrested on suspicion of insulting Islam, but denied it. He said that other MECA members both in Egypt and elsewhere had posted offensive material. ¶4. (C) George, Azmeh and Yacoub were released on December 26, without charges. George said that he was generally treated well and not harmed physically. He told us, however, that the arrest itself, reportedly carried out by 40 armed policemen, was frightening. He recounted that an Egyptian police investigator cautioned him afterwards to "be careful because he had a nice wife and a daughter about to be married." George said that he left MECA both because he felt threatened and because he found MECA leadership's willingness to insult Islam to be "personally" offensive. He added that as a deacon of the Coptic Church, it was improper for him to participate in an organization that insulted other religions. ¶5. (C) Another lawyer and Embassy contact, Ramses Al-Naggar, told us that Azmeh had filed suit in May 2007 at MECA's behest to obtain restitution for Christian survivors of the 1999 riots in the Upper Egypt village of Kosheh. Al-Naggar told us that the case is still pending, but Azmeh has dropped out. Another lawyer, not affiliated with MECA, is pursuing the case, but it faces procedural difficulties. ¶6. (C) Both Fawzi and George expressed bitterness over their MECA experience. They claimed to be personally offended by the militancy of both the Canada-based headquarters and other local members and complained that they were blamed for the excesses of the organization. Both have cut all ties to the organization and to their former colleagues in the Egyptian chapter. Both are also clearly concerned about their relations with the security services and will eschew political engagement to avoid another encounter. Ricciardone