Surge in abduction of Christian girls in Egypt

Abul Fazl, in Akbar Nama, says that many Muslim officers used to proceed to the villages and mahals to sack Hindus. In these sackings, normally the women and children were driven away. In Akbar’s reign it became a fashion to raid a village or a group of villages without any obvious justification, and carry off the inhabitants as slaves.’ (India at the Death of Akbar, Low Price Publications, New Delhi, page 92)

It is no wonder then that Abdulla Khan Uzbeg, a general of Akbar, had boastfully declared: ‘I made prisoners of five lacs (500,000) of men and women and sold them. They all became Muhammadans. From their progeny, there will be crores (one crore = ten million) by the Day of Judgment.’ (K.S.Lal (1994), p. 73)

It is a core policy and a principle of Islam from the time of Islam's Prophet to the present day to make infidel women as sex slaves and from their progeny future Muslim warriors [This is how Ottoman Caliphate came in to existence]. In many Muslim countries, like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Egypt and in India too, abduction of non-Muslim women goes un checked. This practice quite very well serves Islam as it humiliates non-Muslims - just like Koran commanded them to - and it eliminates females of childbearing years from the gene pool of non-Muslims - along with a dent in population of non-Muslims - and forces them to produce Muslim offspring (children) instead.

Coming to Egypt, it was never a secular country and this kind of abduction of Coptic girls always took place; with the end of Mubarak's regime and possibility of Islamists coming to power, this kind of activities i.e. violence against Coptics will only increase.

No Going Back for Egypt's Converted Copts
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Amid the upheavals in Egypt since January, reports have begun to emerge of a surge in disappearances of Coptic girls.

One priest in Cairo estimates that at least 21 young girls, many as young as 14, have disappeared from his parish alone.

In most cases, when a Christian girl who disappears is found by her family, she has been converted to Islam and married. The Coptic authorities, have even set up a series of refuges in monasteries to handle the growing numbers of girls who wish to return to their families, many of whom are not accepted by their family of origin.

But a worse problem for these women is that their conversion to Islam is irreversible.

Religion is stated on Egyptian ID documents and even though secular law provides for reversions, under the growth of sharia they are very difficult, except for those affording legal advocacy.

This situation is not unique to Egypt. There have been consistent reports of girls being coerced into Islamic conversion and marriage in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

That many of these girls are initially runaways is not in doubt. However, there is also evidence that a huge number are converted and married against their will.

The situation was documented in a controversial report published in 2009 on conversion and forced marriage of Coptic women by Washington DC-based Christian Solidarity International. The authors are Washington academic Michele Clark and Egyptian Coptic broadcast journalist Nadia Ghaly, based in Melbourne.

Between 2005 and 2008 they interviewed and documented 50 Egyptian women, mostly aged between 14 and 25, who had decided to return to their families. All claim to have been tricked, coerced or raped, converted to Islam and married. Most of the interviewees were trying to reconvert to their Christian identity, with limited or no success. The report's conclusions were printed in several major publications, including Forbes magazine.

Since the so-called Arab Spring, and the ensuing riots at Christian churches, the authors are trying to bring the subject of forced conversion and marriage to greater prominence.

Both groups live extremely closed, highly traditional separate lives and the norms surrounding marriage and sex are almost medieval, says Ghaly.

So, for example, it is not unheard of for a young Christian girl from a poor family to run away from an arranged marriage. Yet a high proportion of these women claim coercion, even rape, despite the shame that such a claim will cause if the girl wishes to return.

Many claim they were kept as virtual slaves. Others who were able to leave could not bring their children. Ghaly claims this is more than overt religious oppression, and amounts to "a form of cultural genocide".

She cites a document published by Human Rights Watch in November 2007, which says that even if Coptic women can obtain a divorce from their Muslim husband, those who wish to return to Christianity "meet with refusal and harassment from the Civil Status Department of the Ministry of Interior".

Under sharia law, reconversion is considered apostasy punishable by death.
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Muslims attack a church in Egypt and 6 people die

The attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt used to happen during the reign of Mubarak too. After the overthrow of his Govt., instances of attacks on Christians will only increase, in fact they did increase.

Look at the media! Muslims attack a Church and in 'so called protests', church catches fire and our main stream media describes and reports this whole incident as sectarian clashes. We, Indians, have seen this kind of ugly reporting - probably much worse - from our media too e.g. the case of Islamic Jihad in Deganga.

At least 6 dead in Egyptian sectarian violence 

Saint Mena Orthodox Church in Cairo.

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Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- At least six people were killed and 120 injured in sectarian clashes outside a church in Cairo on Saturday, officials said.

A group of Muslim Salafists attacked the Saint Mena Coptic Orthodox Church. Gunfire rang out as people sprinted for cover.

"With my own eyes I saw three people killed and dozens injured," said Mina Adel, a Christian resident. "There's no security here. There's a big problem. People attacked us, and we have to protect ourselves."
Egyptian Interior Ministry spokesman Alla Mahmoud said in a statement that six people were killed and 120 injured.

He said the clashes were sparked by reports of a Christian woman who married a Muslim man and was allegedly being held inside the church.

State TV, citing a source at the Health Ministry, said that eight people died and 144 were wounded in the violence.

Nearby, firefighters responded to a blaze at the Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church. Hundreds of residents stood outside as it burned and two men were seen jumping from a window of the building.
Authorities sent soldiers and police to help secure the area.

Tensions have risen this year between Egypt's Muslim majority and its Coptic minority.
A Coptic church in the town of Alexandria was bombed on New Year's Day, killing 23 people -- the deadliest attack on Christians in Egypt in recent times.

Ten days later, a gunman killed a Christian man and wounded five other Christians on a train in Egypt.

In November, a group with ties to al Qaeda in Iraq announced that all Christians in the Middle East would be "legitimate targets," as the group's deadline for Egypt's Coptic church to release alleged Muslim female prisoners expired.

The group's claim that the Coptic Church in Egypt is holding female prisoners is based on widespread rumors of Coptic women in Egypt converting to Islam and being detained by the church in an attempt to compel or persuade them to return to their original faith..........

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Some more reports exemplifying Islamic tolerance:::

Christians in Egypt flee from coming Islamic law {{{As Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood declares its intent to institute Islamic law, intelligence sources report al-Qaida is staging attacks in the Middle East nation, prompting concern that Coptic Christians soon will be driven from their homeland.}}}

Panel blacklists Egypt for religious oppression {{{Egypt systematically oppresses Christians and minority Muslim sects, according to a congressional commission that placed a key U.S. ally in the Arab world on a blacklist of nations that routinely abuse religious liberties.....}}}

Egypt’s Christians Flee amid Islamic Threat {{{Egypt’s Christians are looking for ways to leave the country over concerns radical Muslims are gaining power in wake of President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. Human rights lawyers say they’re receiving calls from hundreds of Christians seeking help in getting out the majority Muslim nation.}}}

Protests flare in Egypt over appointment of a Christian Governor {{{Muslims in southern Egypt protested for a third day on Sunday over the appointment of a Christian governor, saying his predecessor, also a Christian, had failed to solve their problems. "The experience of a Coptic governor has failed. There is no objection to his Coptic identity but the previous governor left a negative impression of Christian officials," Youssef Ragab, a witness in Qena, told Reuters by telephone. Residents say Ayoub was too weak in enforcing laws to quell rising tension between Muslims and Christians, fearing his background might imply sectarian allegiance. ..... The protest took a more aggressive turn as some radical Salafi Islamists in the crowd demanded a Muslim official, saying "we want it Islamic." Some even threatened to kill Mikhail if he came to his office....}}}

Three Churches Attacked, Egyptian Military Sides With Radical Muslims {{{ In the last two weeks three attacks on churches were undertaken by Salafis or Islamic Fundamentalists in Egypt. The Salafis demanded churches move to locations outside communities and be forbidden from making repairs, "even if they are so dilapidated that the roofs will collapse over the heads of the congregation," says Father Estephanos Shehata of Samalut Coptic Diocese........}}}      

Muslims Attack Christian in Egypt, Cut Off His Ear {{{ A group of Muslims attacked Ayman Anwar Mitri, a 45 year old Christian Coptic man in the Upper Egyptian town of Qena, cutting off his ear. The Muslims claimed they were applying Sharia law because Mr. Mitri allegedly had an illicit affair with a Muslim woman. The Muslims called the police and told them "We have applied the law of Allah, now come and apply your law," according to Mr. Mitri in an interview for the Egyptian Human Rights Organization.......}}}

Islamic tolerance in Egypt: Mosque with a name Al-Ramla comes up in the place of a Church.

Islam teaches tolerance? Yes. This is how: Non Muslims living under Islamic law or in Muslim nations must pay Jizya and accept other humiliating conditions and also accept the supremacy of Islam and Muslims; as long as Non Muslims live by these conditions (fully documented here) (this whole contract is called institution of dhimma) Islamic law gives them protection i.e it allows Non Muslims to live. Some of these conditions are like 1: Non Muslims can not testify in a court of law against Muslims. 2: Non Muslims can not build their places of worship. 3: Non Muslims can not repair their existing places of worship. 4: Non Muslims must not practice their faith publicly. 5: Non Muslims must not display their religious symbols in public. 6: Non Muslims should not proselytize. 7: Non Muslims should stay on the sidelines if they come across Muslims on roads. 8: The value of life of Non Muslims is never equal to the value of life of Muslims. 10: Non Muslims should neither covet Muslim women nor marry Muslim women; but Muslim men can marry Non Muslim women ...and the list goes on. But, the recorded history shows that even accepting and living under these conditions never guaranteed physical security nor material security. And without saying, if any infidel breaks this covenant i.e. cross the line....huhhhh. And this is pure Islamic tolerance! So, when a Coptic Christian marries a Muslim girl hell breaks loose (read the condition # 10).

Post revolution Egyptian constitution! it really makes no difference for coptic christians of Egypt.

In Egypt, when protests were going in Tahrir square for removal of Hosni Mubarak, which even entranced some Indians after spoon-fed by main stream media thought of those protests as struggle against oppression and corruption and wished similar protests take place in India too, Coptic Christians of Egypt, who constitute about 10% of population, faced a dilemma about whether to join the protests or not against the regime of Mubarak.

Protests in Egypt.

For the last 10 days I am following news on protests in Egypt which eventually brought down Mubarak (it is not entirely clear) and also exchanged some views with Indians via comments at the end of news reports. Some supported the protests against Govt. of Mubarak and some even wished that Indians also protest against corruption. And some suggested that if these protests spread to Saudi Arabia and topple existing Govt. then funds will stop flowing to terrorist organizations. Then I came across a blogger writing on these protests under the title ' i like my freedom '. I am not sure where the blogger stands, but from a news article she referred to I feel that she thinks Egyptians are fighting for their freedom.

It is crystal clear that most people after being fed by main stream media, which itself is influenced by leftist philosophy and guided by political correctness, think that one of the reasons for every thing that is wrong in middle east (Arab World) is lack of democracy and existing dictator ships. Other cited reason is interests of USA.