[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 137]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONDEMNING THE NEW YEAR'S DAY ATTACK ON A COPTIC CHURCH IN EGYPT

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the senseless and 
heinous attack that took place on New Year's Day in Alexandria, Egypt, 
during a Coptic Christian mass ushering in the new year.
  The suicide bombing that took place 20 minutes into 2011 took the 
lives of 23 Christians and wounded more than 90 others. Although no one 
has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Egyptian Government has 
linked the al-Qaeda terrorist organization to this brutal attack. 
Whoever the perpetrators may be, their actions epitomize the definition 
of evil and remind us of the constant struggle around the world against 
terrorism. Security must remain a priority in Egypt and all freedom-
fighting nations.
  This event illuminates the unprecedented prejudice facing this 
minority population and the evident inter-religious struggle and 
violence that is plaguing Egypt. This deplorable act of violence is yet 
another example of the escalation of violence against Egypt's Coptic 
Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population.
  I offer my condolences to the families of victims who perished in the 
bombing, and I hope the Egyptian Government honors their promise with a 
swift and thorough investigation of this vicious crime.

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