David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Coptic community is a very important part of my electorate, and recently I have held a number of meetings with its leadership. The Coptic community makes a tremendous contribution to Sydney. Members of the community assist our city and the broader world in many ways including raising funds to support families in Sudan. In recent months I have visited the Coptic community's St Marks Church in Arncliffe, and St Mary and St Joseph which is located at Peakhurst in my electorate. Both congregations display a powerful community spirit. I also met recently with Bishop Daniel, the Bishop of Sydney and Affiliated Regions, and other community leaders including Mr John Nour, the head of the Coptic Public Affairs Council of the Diocese of Sydney.

The Coptic community has grave concerns about the situation in Egypt where Copts often suffer from persecution due to their religion. It is critical that the government of Egypt takes steps to ensure the safety of Copts. All Egyptians should be entitled to freely practise their religion without fear of persecution. The Egyptian government should move to ensure that all Egyptians regardless of their religion are able to live in peace in their own homes. I thank the Coptic community for its tremendous contribution to our nation and look forward to continued cooperation in the future.