Egypt's Mubarak Visits White House; Advocates Want Obama To Raise Human Rights Issues

Yesterday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited the White House. Ahead of the visit, groups such as U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (text of letter) and the Institute on Religion and Public Policy (text of letter) urged the President to raise questions of religious freedom with Mubarak. At a Washington press conference yesterday called by Coptic Christian groups to protest the human rights situation in Egypt, arguments broke out between speakers and Muslims attending the press conference over the role of sharia law in Egypt. (Christian Post).

At the White House press briefing yesterday, press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked whether Obama raised human rights issues with Mubarak:

Q: Back to Mubarak. Can you say how the President raised the issue of human rights and political reform in Egypt during the talks?

MR. GIBBS: Let me get a specific read. I did not talk to Denis and those guys before I -- about the other topics that were talked about.

Q: Well, generally, do you think it's fair that there's a perception among some dissidents and human rights groups that this administration has downplayed that side of the relationship in pursuit of broader issues?

MR. GIBBS: I would not -- I would not agree with the premise that we have somehow swept under the rug, in either this relationship or in relationships with other countries, the notion of human rights or greater democracy in the world. Obviously those are important foreign policy goals that are in the national interest of this country. And we will continue to pursue those, as well as issues relating to comprehensive Middle East peace.