An Egyptian official source refutes claims over the kidnapping of Coptic girls
Egypt, Culture, 4/24/2000

An Egyptian official statement responded yesterday to claims that were circulated on kidnapping and forcing Coptic girls to convert to Islam. The full statement said:

The Egyptian Constitution stipulates in Article 46 that the state shall guarantee the freedom of belief and practice of religious rites. In Article 40, it further stipulates that all citizens shall have equal public rights and duties without discrimination on account of gender, ethnic origin, language, religion or creed.Such is the real situation that can be tangibly felt by everyone living in Egypt.

For this reason, the Egyptians themselves are the first to express astonishment and even regret over claims of cases of violence against women in Egypt propagated by certain parties especially in international organizations reports.

Earlier, unfounded claims were circulated on kidnapping and forcing Coptic girls to convert to Islam. It should be asserted here that nothing of the sort has occured, simply because Islam, clearly and expressly stipulates that "No Coercion in Religion". To adopt this or that religion is a matter of personal freedom, which is supposedly a key concern to human rights organizations.

With regard to the report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee by the Special Rapporteur on women and cases of violence against women; an Egyptian authorized source stated the following:

First: There were numerous claims over the kidnapping of a Christian woman named Thrisa Gad ar-Rab Thomas Andrawes, also included in a fax sent by the Canadian Coptic Organization in 1998. The truth about this incident is as follows:

1- On April 3, 1998, Ms.Thomas Andrawes, an employee of the Agricultural Research Institute in Cairo, submitted an application to Giza Security Directorate, to officialy register her adoption of Islam. She reported that she had left her family's home and moved to the house of a female workmate.

2- On April 8, 1998, Thomas Andrawes's father reported to Shebeen al- Qanater police station his daughter's absence from home, accusing a Muslim workmate of hers, named Aladdin Salah Tantawi of encouraging her escape as they were in love.

3- Aladdin denied having instigated Thomas Andrawes to embrace Islam or abandon her family. He noted that he learnt that she had embraced Islam because of ill-treatment by her step-mother.

4- On July 11, 1998, a religious counselling session was held in the presence of her father, a priest from Giza Archbishopric and lawyer Mouris Sadeq, head of the Egyptian Human Rights Centre. Nevertheless, she stood fast to her decision, insisting to proceed with the formalities of registering the change of her religion to Islam. On the same day, she got married to Aladdin and moved with her husband to his family's home.

5 - Her father visits her from time to time.
    Second: concerning the claim of kidnapping Ms. Soheir Shehata Gouda, a student who lives in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt, investigations made of the contents of Lord Elton's message to the British House of Lords in March 1999 revealed the following facts:

1 - On February 26, 1999, Mr. Malak Shehata Gouda reported the absence of his sister Soheir, accusing Sayed Sadeq Mahmoud (Muslim)of kidnapping her.

2 - It turned out that the said woman officially professed Islam at Al Azhar, following a love affair with Sayed Sadeq Mahmoud. They were married to the dissatisfaction of her family. Lawyer Mouris Sadeq chose to escalate the matter circulating information among Coptic organizations and associations abroad, claiming that she was kidnapped and forced to adopt Islam.
    3 - On March 10, 1999, a religious counselling session was arranged for her family and two of the Christian leaders from the Orthodox Coptic Archbishopric of Naga' Hamady. However, both leaders failed to show up for the session.
    4 - Another religious counselling session was held on May 3 , 1999, at the request of the family, which was attended by her parents and some priests from the Archbishopric of Naga' Hamady. Nevertheless, she insisted on her stand.
    5 - Bishop Kirollus of Naga' Hamady was informed of all previous developments. When rumours spread about the intention by another sister of the said woman to adopt Islam, he was also informed and took the initiative to convince her family to arrange for marrying her to a relative of hers.

These are the established facts in this respect as recorded in official documents by the concerned authorities . Witnesses to these incidents are the families of both women, allegedly reported by certain parties to have been kidnapped and forced to change their religion as well as Christain clerics who attended the religious counselling sessions to ascertain the situation of both women, and make sure that they have taken a course of their own choice in full freedom and without any coercion.

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