The Egyptian government, dominated by the Muslim religion, has once again failed to stand courageously for the democracy which it claims to possess. This is evident in two recent cases, one regarding the restriction of religious liberty and the other in the failure to protect its Coptic citizens. In Yemen, the the height of Islamist cowardice was demonstrated in the kidnapping and murder of unarmed female relief workers.
EGYPT – Kamilia Gaballah, a Coptic Christian, was granted custody of her 14-year-old twins, Andrew and Mario, by an Egyptian court on June 15. The boys turned 15 on June 24. Gaballah has fought with her ex-husband, Medhat Ramses Labib, for the custody of the boys in more than forty different cases since he converted to Islam and abandoned her in 1999. In October 2008, the Appeal Court of Alexandria granted custody of the boys to their father despite the fact that Egyptian law grants custody of children to mothers until age 15. The year prior, Labib changed the religious affiliation on the twins’ birth certificates from Christian to Muslim without their consent. While the court granted Gaballah custody, it also ruled the boys must be identified as Muslims on their national identification cards.
The boys now face the legal challenge of attempting to obtain identification cards listing them as Christians. When asked why they desired to remain Christian, Andrew replied, “I love Christ, and I believe in Him.” Mario responded, “I am born Christian, and I believe in Christianity, and I am not going to change my faith.” The twins’ elder brother, George, who is also a Christian, stated last year that the two have received encouragement from fellow Christians who have heard of their dilemma. He noted, “Christians see them as Coptic heroes and martyrs who stood up in front of all and said they were Christians and held on to it. All of them say they they see the greatness of their ancestors and Christian heroes of long ago in them. . . . they carry a lot of respect and love for what they have done.”
U.S. Citizens concerned about religious liberty in Egypt are urged to contact the embassy in Washington, D.C., at 202.895.5400, in order to vocalize their support for the twins in being identified by their religion of choice.
EGYPT – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has expressed concern over reports of attacks targeting Coptic Christians in the small Egyptian village of Ezbet Boshra-East. On June 21, a group of Christians from Cairo visiting a pastor in the village when a mob of Muslim residents began attacking and looting the church building, Christian homes, and destroying crops owned by Christians. Several people were injured. Felice Gaer, chair of the USCIRF, noted in a news release, “This latest incident is another example of the upsurge of violence against Coptic Christians we have seen in the last few years. The commission has long expressed concern that the Egyptian government does not do enough to protect Christians and their property in Egypt, nor does the government adequately bring perpetrators of such violence to justice.” Egypt is a nation on the USCIRF “Watch List” due its serious violations of religious liberty.
YEMEN – Nine international relief workers, all Christians, were abducted on June 12. Three 
of those kidnapped, all women, were murdered a short time later. The bodies of two German nurses in training, Rita Stumpp and Anita Gruenwald, and a South Korean, Eom Young-sun, were discovered in Noshour Valley. The remaining hostages, German physician Johannes Hentschel, his wife Sabine, their three children, and an unidentified British engineer, are reportedly still alive.
Please pray for Muslims in Egyptian government to stand courageously for the democracy they claim to possess and desire. Please pray for the safe return of the relief workers who were abducted, and for the families of the ladies who were murdered.
