The Egyptian daily Al-Misriyyoun reports that Dr. Ashraf Ramla, head of the American Coptic organization Sawt Al-Aqbat, has rejected the call by "one of Mubarak's great supporters" [presumably the head of the Coptic church, Pope Shenouda III] to cancel the protests planned to take place during Mubarak's present visit to Washington. Ramla's organization, as well as other Coptic organizations and Egyptian oppositionists, plan to hold conferences to protest the visit and the persecution of the Copts in Egypt; one of the conferences is to be attended by Egyptian oppositionist Sa'd Al-Din Ibrahim.

The Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm reports that Pope Shenouda has called on the Copts in the U.S. to welcome Mubarak and console him for the death of his grandson.

Source: Al-Misriyyoun, Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Al-Ahram (Egypt), August 16, 2009.

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