Egyptian Christians: Islamic Militants

Egypt Dept: The opening scene from Innocence of Muslims , although crude, resonates with some Egyptian Christians, who have suffered years of persecution and attacks by Islamic militants and fear more of it with new fundamentalist leaders in power in Egypt, according to CBC. A tiny minority of U.S. Copts, however, have used their adopted nation's free speech protections to speak out against Islam in a way that would not be tolerated in their native Egypt. The few who engage in this anti-Muslim, evangelical activism including those behind the movie trailer are fueled by that history, said Eliot Dickinson, an associate professor of political science at Western Oregon University who has written a book on U.S. Copts. Coptic history and beliefs The anti-Islamic movie trailer inflaming the Middle East opens with Muslims ransacking a Christian medical clinic and then segues into a flashback of the Prophet Muhammad's life. "Set the place on fire! We'll burn out these forsaken Christians!" cries one Muslim character. The 14-minute trailer on YouTube enraged Muslims worldwide. Most Egyptian Christians in the U.S. have rejected the movie and say the man and the non-profit tied to the film are fringe players who are not well-known in the Coptic Orthodox Church, the church for the vast majority of Coptic Christians in America. Speaking out (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.