Coptic Christian Leader Renews Calls for FBI Investigation

A Coptic Christian leader renewed his call for an FBI civil rights investigation into the January slayings of the Armanious family in New Jersey.

A Coptic Christian leader renewed his call for an FBI civil rights investigation into the January slayings of the Armanious family in New Jersey.

"Just the thought that this family might have been killed for professing Christian beliefs should be enough to justify a bias investigation," said Monir A. Dawoud, M.D., acting president of the American Coptic Association.

He cited the FBI website guidelines for civil rights investigations, which says "The FBI... requires each field office to initiate a civil rights investigation whenever information is received from any source not known to be unreliable." It continues, "...a significant number of cases are initiated based on media reports, complaints from community interest groups..."

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Hossam Armanious professed his Christianity in an online chat room under the screen name, "I love Jesus." He later received death threats and on January 14, he, his wife and two daughters were found brutally murdered.

Until now, Hudson County Prosecutors, and other Federal law enforcement agencies are investigating. A civil rights unit of the FBI would need to be called in order to determine whether or not the Jersey City murders were hate crimes.