militants separated the Christians from the Muslims living in a
housing compound in the central Libyan city of Sirte; and
WHEREAS, Islamic State released a video in February 2015,
showing mass killings of captive Egyptian Coptic Christians by
beheading; and
WHEREAS, In their last moments, the 21 Egyptian Coptic
Christians were forced to kneel on a Libyan beach; and
WHEREAS, Some of the men can be heard professing their
embrace of Christianity; and
WHEREAS, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared a
seven-day mourning period in his country; and
WHEREAS, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church
has acclaimed the men as martyrs, having died for their faith;
and
WHEREAS, His Holiness Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic
Church has publicly referred to the men as martyrs, hailing
their confessed Christianity and denouncing their murder; and
WHEREAS, One week after their execution, the men were
recognized as the 21 Coptic martyrs of Libya when their names
were entered into the Coptic Synaxarium; and
WHEREAS, The martyrdom of these canonized men is thus
commemorated annually as part of the Coptic Orthodox Church
calendar; and
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania mourns and respects these 21 expatriate workers who
were persecuted and who died for their faith; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the Coptic
Christians martyred as they stood for their faith and elicit
solidarity in the wake of the killings; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
20150HR0190PN1035 - 2 -
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