Mission Statement Voice of the Copts, a nonprofit organization, fights the spread of Islamic supremacy and Sharia throughout the Western world through education, advocacy and action. By drawing attention to the suffering of Coptic Christians in Egypt, it endeavors to educate the Western world as to the chilling effect of Sharia (Islamic law). Founded in 2007 by Dr. Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts focuses on three key issues: freedom of religion, cultural identity and women’s rights. • Freedom of religion. For more than 1,400 years, Egyptian Copts have not been allowed to worship freely and have continually suffered the destruction of their churches. As recently as New Year’s Day of 2011, there was a fatal car bomb attack on worshipers leaving the Saints Coptic Church in Alexandria. Eighty-three Christians were massacred in El-Zawia El Hamra, Cairo in 1980 by Muslim believers committing an act of jihad. • Cultural identity. In countries where Islamic law is rule, other cultures are systematically stamped out. In recent years, Islamic doctrine has infiltrated all aspects of education, ignoring Egypt’s rich cultural past. • Women’s rights. Since the rise of Muslim influence in Egypt, non-Muslim women have increasingly lost personal rights, particularly in the areas of inheritance, dress and independence. Young Christian women live under the threat of being kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam. Muslim women are viewed as objects and slaves to Muslim men. Voice of the Copts actively supports its mission through education about the threat of Islamic supremacy and Sharia, advocacy to stop the spread of Islamic law and for those suffering under it, and action to assist Coptic refugees and Egyptian Copts. It is in a unique position to understand issues and events related to the Muslim world. With understanding of the native Egyptian-Arabic language, monitoring news and events in Egypt is accurate and not reliant upon English translations. • Education. Voice of the Copts aggressively spreads the truth about Islamic supremacy and the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt by providing complete and credible information, based on a deep understanding of Islamic history and contemporary politics of the Middle East. Dr. Ramelah is a regular contributor to several publications including American Thinker and Canada Free Press. Voice of the Copts also maintains this website that serves as a major source of international news regarding the dangers of Islamic supremacy and Sharia. • Advocacy. Voice of the Copts makes known the dangers of Islamic supremacy and Sharia and the plight of Coptic Christians through relentless advocacy, including writing and testimony. Since the founding of Voice of the Copts, Dr. Ramelah has addressed the New York Bar Association, Italian Parliament, Canadian Parliament and other influential groups. • Action. Whenever possible, Voice of the Copts supports Coptic refugees in Italy, as well as Coptic Christians living in Egypt.