Standing Against Religious Freedom Violations

Floor Speech

Mr. DUFFY. Mr. Speaker, last week Egyptian gunmen attacked a wedding at the Coptic Christian Church of the Virgin Mary, killing four and wounding many others. Among those killed were two young girls, a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old. As a father of six, I can't imagine the horror and pain of those families having to bury their two young children.

We have to ask: What was their offense? What was their crime, this 12-year-old and this 8-year-old? Their crime was, their offense was that they were practicing their faith, that they were Christians.

Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks, Secretary John Kerry is going to be visiting Egypt. I call on Secretary Kerry to highlight during his visit the religious freedom abuses that have been occurring throughout Egypt. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has already named Egypt as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations.

I call on every Member of this House to stand up against those who are attacking Christians around the world. It is our duty to stand with those who have been abused for practicing their faith.

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