02/27/2019 Egypt (International Christian Concern) – According to Watani, last April, a Coptic Christian woman living in Upper Egypt converted to Islam and married a Muslim man. Her parents had unsuccessfully attempted to intervene in preventing the marriage, asking for police involvement.
Now, the woman and her husband have returned home and are living adjacent to the home of her Coptic family. The family claims that they have received threatening messages from their Muslim neighbors once it became known that she was returning. They informed the police, but did not anticipate any solution. They have fled the village in order to live in safety.
It is not unusual for young, Coptic Christian girls to decide to marry a Muslim man and convert to Islam. Often, families will claim that their daughter was kidnapped by Muslims in order to avoid the shame (on the other hand, Egypt does have a significant and legitimate problem of Muslim men kidnapping Christian girls and forcing them into marriage). Christian families whose daughter converts to Islam often face significant pressure from their new in-laws, who pressure the entire family to convert as well.
For interviews with Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org.
