Washington DC: December 12, 2010. The Voice of Copts have announced Panel of speakers for International Human Rights Day celebrations to discus “Human Rights in the Middle East: What the West Needs to Know” on December 16, 2010, in Washington DC; According to Voice of Copts “Every person on the planet is entitled to human rights. The concept of human rights developed after World War II in response to the Holocaust. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The concept of rights is not new and existed in pre-modern cultures in ancient Greek and Roman times where we find various indicators of rights, although not as a universal issue. In Europe, during the Renaissance, we find the Twelve Articles which are considered the first record concerning human rights. In the 18th fundamental civil rights and civil freedoms included in the Virginia Declaration of Rights” Dr, Ashraf Ramelah, founder of Voice of Copts stresses that “Today the world still struggles with human rights. While the majority of Westerners acknowledges human rights and fights to defend them, the majority of the Middle East (except the State of Israel) denies these rights. Western governments and NGOs have great concern over human rights abuses in the Middle East resulting in politically correct reports and soft condemnation. “In preparing this conference we bring together scholars, authors, activists, organizers, and journalists concentrating in the area of human rights and hope to offer a perspective which demands a much firmer approach by the U.S. and other Western governments to the issues” saif Dr. Ramelah Conference Program 12:00 p.m. Ashraf Ramelah Voice of the Copts Founder and President Opening Remarks 12:10 p.m. Pamela Geller Editor and Publisher of Atlas Shrugs Executive Director FDI SIOA Encroaching Shariah in America 12:30 p.m. Tawfik Hamid Author of Inside Jihad: Understanding and Confronting Radical Islam, Do We Need Democracy in the Middle East? 12:50 p.m. Faith McDonnell Director of the Religious Liberty Program at the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, DC Human Rights in the Middle East: Lessons from 14 years of Advocacy 1:10 p.m. Jordan Sekulow Director of Policy and International Operation Defending the Persecuted: The ACLJ's Legal Defense of Christian Minorities 1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. Break 1:50 p.m Robert Spencer Director of Jihad Watch Author of The Truth About Muhammad 2:10 p.m. Ali Ayami Director of Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia Human Rights Under the Saudi-Wahhabi Rule 2:30 p.m. Nazir S Bhatti President Pakistan Chistian Congress Statement Concerning Asia Bibi 2:45 p.m. Ahmar Mustikhan American Friends of Balochistan Human Rights Scene in Balochistan 3:00 p.m. Ashraf Ramelah Closing: Call to Action 3:10 p.m. Audience Q & A 4:00 p.m. Thank You for Participating Voice of the Copts