Human trafficking caused by religion: Christian teenagers victimized in Muslim countries
ICC Note:
Coptic Christians have endured a long history of persecution in Egypt. Currently, Egyptian law enforcement has not respected the religious rights or defended the overall safety of Coptic women.
By Youngbee Kim
11/16/2009 Egypt (Examiner) – Recently, a newspaper disclosed a case of a Christian woman trafficked by the Muslim extremist in Egypt. Certainly, the persecution of Christian minority by the Muslim extremists has been an ongoing struggle for these minority group in Egypt. Nonetheless, the Egyptian law enforcements not only has neglected to protect these girls’ rights as citizens but also purposefully violated their fundamental human rights in times.
The Copts: the Christian minority in Egypt
The Copts are a Christian minority group, whose population encompasses up to 6% of the entire Egyptian population.[1] Historically, Copts enjoy it’s privilege as a minority group in times because of the Muslim rulers’ tradition to use minorities as administrators. Hence, during the 19th century, Copts were "the main beneficiaries of the burgeoning civil service." [2] Even when the British removed many of them from the bureaucracy by the British during the twentieth century, it actually opened the door for them to enter into the professional careers. [3] However, not all Copts always enjoyed the prestige and wealth in the Egyptian society. Though some Copts had "the ranks of prosperous city dwellers,” other Copts from rural community were just as poor as the any other rural population. [4]
Religious conflict and persecution of the Copts in Egypt
According to a report from the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights, Coptic Christians in Egypt have been harassed, tortured and murdered by Muslims for over 1,400 years. The persecution of the Copts by Muslim extremists was exacerbated in the 70s when ‘Anti-Coptic sentiment has accompanied the resurgence of Islamic activism in Egypt.” [5] Several Copitc churches were burned, and Islamic groups often accused Copts in their religious literature or prayer meetings. Further the tension between Copts and Muslims became higher which resulted incessant violence throughout the 80s and the 90s.[6]
Christian girls trafficked by Muslims in other countries
Christian teens abducted, raped and coerced into marriage and conversion to Islam does not happen in Egyptian soil alone.[12] In fact, many of them face the same abuses by the Muslim extremist in other countries too. Take Pakistan, for example. 10 years old and 12 years old Christian girls were kidnapped by Muslims and were forced to convert to Islam. The kidnappers later filed a custody over the two pre-teenage girls arguing that they have converted to Islam and the father has no rights of custody over them. When the girls' father went to the police station to testify, the police refuse to 'file the case against the kidnappers because they are known to be members of powerful human trafficking ring. [ [emphasis added]. [13]**
