Congressman Frank Wolf

Representing the 10th District of Virginia

Egypt

egypt

Egypt is a proud country with a rich history—but its future is far from certain. I was a consistent critic of the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak under which free speech and freedom of assembly were curtailed, sectarian divisions were stoked and the press was restricted. Mubarak also repressed and discriminated against religious minorities including the sizeable Christian community numbering anywhere from 6 million to 10 million, the majority of whom belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, and an estimated 2,000 Baha’is.

With Mubarak’s ouster in January 2011, Egypt has embarked on a period of tumultuous change which has further imperiled religious minorities, women and reformers among others.

I visited Egypt in June 2011 during this critical time of transition. I had a number of meetings with U.S. and host government officials and key civil society actors, during which we addressed human rights and religious freedom concerns. Some Egyptian activists and religious freedom advocates I met with at the time were concerned about the transition and the prospects for a free, tolerant, and democratic government afterelections.They stressed that the best way to counter Islamists in the short run was to first draft a constitution and delay elections until democratic parties had formed and become operational.

Clearly, with the ascent of the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammed Morsi, their fears were realized.Morsi’s time in office was marked by political turmoil, violent attacks against women and religious minorities and crackdowns on the press and free speech including through charges of blasphemy which was criminalized under the new constitution. There were reliable reports of torture and abuse by security forces as well as discrimination against religious minorities, including primarily the Coptic community.

These developments were in keeping with a broader crackdown on Egyptian civil society—a crackdown which hit close to home.  In June 2013, news broke that an Egyptian court, in a highly politicized case, had sentenced dozens of NGO workers, including the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, to jail, for their involvement with prominent pro-democracy organizations.  Prior to their closure in December 2011, these organizations carried out important and legitimate programs to help support citizen participation in the Egyptian transition process. I took to the House floor to condemn the unjust sentencing and question the continuation of foreign assistance to the Morsi government without a single string attached.

I returned to Egypt in February 2013. While there I regularly encountered the perception among many Egyptians that the U.S. and specifically the Obama administration were supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and as a result losing credibility among the Egyptian people. This was a devastating critique especially in light of the abuses that had transpired under Morsi.

congrassman wolf in egypt

On July 3, 2013, just over a year after Morsi came to power, the Egyptian military, with the purported support of more than 20 million Egyptians, millions more than the number who voted him into office, removed Morsi from power. However, this much is clear: Attacks against Coptic Christians have escalated, especially given their perceived support of the military's actions, and they are feeling increasingly vulnerable and threatened in the land they have inhabited for centuries.

In this challenging budgetary environment, I remain committed to ensuring that precious foreign aid dollars to countries like Egypt support U.S. interests and bolster U.S. values.

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