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Geography | Surface | 3,787,315 sq.m.
| Inhabitants | 285.3 mill.
| Population density | 75 Inhabitants/sq.m.
| Gross national product | 34,280 $
| Religious affiliation | Christian | 85.3% | Catholic | 21% | Protestant | 57.9% | Orthodox | 1.4% | Other Christian | 5.3% | Muslim | 1.9% | Jewish | 2.1% | Other religions | 10.7% |
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CSI Participates in White House Demonstration on Behalf of Persecuted Christians in Egypt
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White House Protesters With Photo of Young Egyptian Christian Murdered on Christmas Eve Leaving Church CSI
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Nearly 2,500 gathered in front of the White House and the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2010 to protest the violent abuse of the Coptic Christian community in Egypt. |
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Demanding Justice for Christians in Egypt CSI
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Though fueled by a long history of abuse and marginalization, the demonstration was sparked largely by the murder of seven Christians who were gunned down as they were leaving a Christmas church service in Egypt on January 7th.
In a passionate but peaceful demonstration, those gathered in Washington were seeking President Obama’s support and asking the American public to understand the widespread abuse of religious minorities in Egypt. |
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Demonstrators carried large black coffins emblazoned with gold Coptic crosses for each of the Copts murdered on January 7th. The coffins were surrounded by hundreds of signs decrying attacks on Christian churches and businesses in Egypt and the abduction and forced marriages of Coptic girls. |
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Black Coffins Outside White house in Honor of Copts Murdered on Christmas Eve CSI
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Despite representing 10% of the Egyptian population, the Coptic community is greatly underrepresented in Egyptian leadership, leaving the nearly 8 million Copts in Egypt (among 70 million Muslims) critically vulnerable to violence and persecution.
Crowds in Egypt demanding justice for the Christmas murders were met with water hoses, tear gas, and even arrests after protests grew violent. This new wave of violent religious persecution in Egypt was condemned by the Pope and has stirred Coptic Christians to protest |
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in Cairo and several European capitols. AP reported 8,000 Copts protested in Sydney on Tuesday – the largest gathering in Coptic Australian history- while a protest thousands strong in New York City this week garnered no media attention. |
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Copts Marching from the White House to the Egyptian Embassy, January 2010 CSI
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