[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 174 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H7591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE MURDER OF AYMAN LABIB
(Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, while we have watched courageous democracy,
human rights, and leaders of minorities stand up to thugs and
extremists and demand a free and peaceful Egypt, deeply disturbing
cases are occurring where the spotlight is not shining.
Reports indicate that on October 16, Ayman Labib was in his Arabic
class when his teacher told him to get rid of the cross tattooed on his
wrist. When Ayman said it was a tattoo, the teacher asked the other
students, what are we going to do about this, and incited the students
in the class to attack Ayman. He tried to flee, but ultimately the
students, with the support of their teachers, murdered this young man.
Egyptian media, controlled by the military government, has tried to
deny the sectarian reasons for this brutal murder. After the new anti-
discrimination law put into place after October 9, when Egyptian
security forces ran over Copts with bulldozers, will those teachers,
adults and students be brought to justice for this brutal murder?
The Egyptian military must bring the perpetrators to justice.
Otherwise, their tacit approval of this act will only bring further
violence and bloodshed.
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