Egyptian court sentences Christian family to 15 years for converting from Islam

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

The 15-year prison sentence given to a woman and her seven children by an Egyptian court for converting to Christianity is a sign of things to come, according to alarmed human rights advocates who say the nation's Islamist government is bad news for Christians in the North African country.

A criminal court in the central Egyptian city of Beni Suef meted out the shocking sentence last week, according to the Arabic-language Egyptian paper Al-Masry Al-Youm. Nadia Mohamed Ali, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam when she married Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab Mustafa, a Muslim, 23 years ago. He later died, and his widow planned to convert her family back to Christianity in order to obtain an inheritance from her family. She sought the help of others in the registration office to process new identity cards between 2004 and 2006. When the conversion came to light under the new regime, Nadia, her children and even the clerks who processed the identity cards were all sentenced to prison.

Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, said conversions like Nadia's have been common in the past, but said Egypt's new Sharia-based constitution "is a real disaster in terms of religion freedom."

"Now that Sharia law has become an integral part of Egypt's new constitution, Christians in that country are at greater risk than ever."

- Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice

"The cases will increase in the future," Tadros said. "It will be much harder for people to return to Christianity."

President Mohamed Morsi, who was elected last June and succeeded the secular reign of Hosni Mubarak, who is now in prison, pushed the new constitution through last year.

Tadros said the constitution limits the practice of Christianity because "religious freedom has to be understood within the boundaries of Sharia." He added that the constitution prescribes that the highest Sunni authority should be referred to as an interpreter of the religion clause contained in the constitution.

Opponents of the constitution, including Coptic Christians and secular and liberal groups, protested at the time against passage of the document because of the mix of Islamic-based Sharia law and politics. Roughly 10 percent of Egyptians are Coptic Christians.

A government spokeswoman told FoxNews.com she would determine "who is responsible for this and covers this issue in Beni Suef," a city of 200,000 located about 75 miles south of Cairo. She did not offer further comment.

The case is the latest example of the increasingly dire plight of the nation's roughly 7 million Christians, say human rights advocates.

"Now that Sharia law has become an integral part of Egypt's new constitution, Christians in that country are at greater risk than ever," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice. "This is another tragic case that underscores the growing problem of religious intolerance in the Muslim world. To impose a prison sentence for a family because of their Christian faith sadly reveals the true agenda of this new government: Egypt has no respect for international law or religious liberty."

Morsi has been under fire for failing to take action against rising violence inflicted on Egypt's Christians. In August, the roughly 100-family Christian community in Dahshour was forced to flee after Muslim neighbors launched attacks against the Christians' homes and property. Morsi said the expulsion and violence was " blown out of proportion." Radical Salafi preachers -- who have formed alliances with Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood -- called for Muslims to shun Christians during Christmas.

Sekulow urged U.S. diplomatic intervention in Egypt to promote religious freedom. Morsi is scheduled to meet with President Obama, possibly in March.

"The U.S. State Department must play more of a role in discouraging this kind of persecution," Sekulow said. "The U.S. should not be an idle bystander. The U.S. provides more than $1 billion to Egypt each year. The State Department should speak out forcefully against this kind of religious persecution in Egypt."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.c...action_ref_map=[]#ixzz2IEpVAC74

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

The 15-year prison sentence given to a woman and her seven children by an Egyptian court for converting to Christianity is a sign of things to come, according to alarmed human rights advocates who say the nation's Islamist government is bad news for Christians in the North African country.

A criminal court in the central Egyptian city of Beni Suef meted out the shocking sentence last week, according to the Arabic-language Egyptian paper Al-Masry Al-Youm. Nadia Mohamed Ali, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam when she married Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab Mustafa, a Muslim, 23 years ago. He later died, and his widow planned to convert her family back to Christianity in order to obtain an inheritance from her family. She sought the help of others in the registration office to process new identity cards between 2004 and 2006. When the conversion came to light under the new regime, Nadia, her children and even the clerks who processed the identity cards were all sentenced to prison.

Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, said conversions like Nadia's have been common in the past, but said Egypt's new Sharia-based constitution "is a real disaster in terms of religion freedom."

"Now that Sharia law has become an integral part of Egypt's new constitution, Christians in that country are at greater risk than ever."

- Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice

"The cases will increase in the future," Tadros said. "It will be much harder for people to return to Christianity."

President Mohamed Morsi, who was elected last June and succeeded the secular reign of Hosni Mubarak, who is now in prison, pushed the new constitution through last year.

Tadros said the constitution limits the practice of Christianity because "religious freedom has to be understood within the boundaries of Sharia." He added that the constitution prescribes that the highest Sunni authority should be referred to as an interpreter of the religion clause contained in the constitution.

Opponents of the constitution, including Coptic Christians and secular and liberal groups, protested at the time against passage of the document because of the mix of Islamic-based Sharia law and politics. Roughly 10 percent of Egyptians are Coptic Christians.

A government spokeswoman told FoxNews.com she would determine "who is responsible for this and covers this issue in Beni Suef," a city of 200,000 located about 75 miles south of Cairo. She did not offer further comment.

The case is the latest example of the increasingly dire plight of the nation's roughly 7 million Christians, say human rights advocates.

"Now that Sharia law has become an integral part of Egypt's new constitution, Christians in that country are at greater risk than ever," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice. "This is another tragic case that underscores the growing problem of religious intolerance in the Muslim world. To impose a prison sentence for a family because of their Christian faith sadly reveals the true agenda of this new government: Egypt has no respect for international law or religious liberty."

Morsi has been under fire for failing to take action against rising violence inflicted on Egypt's Christians. In August, the roughly 100-family Christian community in Dahshour was forced to flee after Muslim neighbors launched attacks against the Christians' homes and property. Morsi said the expulsion and violence was " blown out of proportion." Radical Salafi preachers -- who have formed alliances with Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood -- called for Muslims to shun Christians during Christmas.

Sekulow urged U.S. diplomatic intervention in Egypt to promote religious freedom. Morsi is scheduled to meet with President Obama, possibly in March.

"The U.S. State Department must play more of a role in discouraging this kind of persecution," Sekulow said. "The U.S. should not be an idle bystander. The U.S. provides more than $1 billion to Egypt each year. The State Department should speak out forcefully against this kind of religious persecution in Egypt."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.c...action_ref_map=[]#ixzz2IEpVAC74

I was going to comment until I saw the source of this article.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Well if fox is so bad and untrustworthy then you should have no trouble pointing out how they lied.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Not to mention the Pat Robertson founded American Center for Law and Justice talking head quoted, and the execrable Hudson Institute.

It sounds like an issue of fraud, as opposed to religious prosecution, the conversion being for the purpose of obtaining money. That's problematic, and the jail sentences are preposterous, but doesn't make the guys quoted here any less full of #######. Pat Robertson', smdh.

[justashooter 430]

well, if you can't argue with the message, you can always attack the messenger.

would this kind of thing be acceptable in USA? is this something we want to incorporate into our system of juris prudence?

the law in egypt is property of the people of egypt, but circumstances like this are enlightening to the observer.

read the facts and make your own conclusions about quashing what we in USA regard as a civil right.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Ah, religion. Really brings out the best in people.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Well if fox is so bad and untrustworthy then you should have no trouble pointing out how they lied.

I didn't say anything about lying, I said I was going to comment but then I saw where the source of this article was coming from I witheld my comment. But since you threw down the gauntlet, I accept your challenge. You posted this from Fox news, here is the same story from a different outlet:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/egyptian-court-sentences-a-mother-and-seven-childr.../1060705/

A mother and her seven children are jailed for 15 years for converting back to Christianity and changing their names in Egypt.

Nadia Mohamed Ali and her children Mohab, Maged, Sherif, Amira, Amir and Nancy were sentenced at the criminal court in Beni Suef, 70 miles south of Cairo.

Nadia was born a Christian, but converted to Islam when she married husband Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab Mustafa 23 years ago.

He later died, and she planned to convert back to Christianity along with her children, Sky News reports.

In 2004, after converting back to Christianity, they attempted to get new identity cards with their Christian names on them.

But one of her children was arrested in 2006 and police became suspicious after looking at his documents and noticing he had changed his name.

He confessed the documents had been changed illegally and Nadia, her children and clerks who processed the identity cards were all arrested and charged.

The family was sentenced to 15 years in prison in court last week. Christians in Egypt who convert to Islam have complained they face difficulties if they decide to convert back, especially in changing names on official documents.

This leads many people to forge the documents, risking prison sentences, the report added.

See the part in bold, funny how the fox story left that part out. Now maybe it's a mistake,let's see if anyone else reports the same thing: http://shariaunveiled.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/egypt-court-sentences-christian-mother-and-her-seven-children-to-15-years-in-prison/

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) – The criminal court of Beni Suef (115 km south of Cairo) has sentenced an entire family to prison for converting to Christianity. Nadia Mohamed Ali and her children Mohab, Maged, Sherif, Amira, Amir, and Nancy Ahmed Mohamed abdel-Wahab will spend 15 years in prison. Seven other people involved in the case were sentenced to five years in prison.

The case of the family of Nadia Ali Mohamed began in 2004 when, after the conversion, she and her children decided to replace their Muslim names on their identity cards with their Christian names and city of residence change. To do this she was aided by seven Registry office employees e. Born Christian, she had changed her religion to marry her husband Mustafa Mohamed Abdel-Wahab. After the man’s death in 1991, Nadia decided to return to her religion of origins and to push her seven children to convert. In 2006, one of the boys was arrested by police in an information center in the city of Beni Suef. Suspicious of the young man from the documents he as carrying, where he had changed its name to Bishoy Malak Abdel-Massih, police agents interrogated him for hours until he confessed his conversion to Christianity as desired by the mother. The judges then decide to stop not only the woman, but all of her children and seven clerks from the registration office, responsible for changing the documents.

An individuals religious faith is listed in Egyptian identity cards. Christians, converted to Islam for various reasons that attempt to return to the religion to which they belong have enormous difficulty in correcting their names on the documents. This leads many people to forge them, risking prison. The reverse process, ie the transition from Christianity to Islam is not hindered, and in many cases is favored by the very Registry officials.

See the difference? This woman, her kids, and the officials that helped forged documents are going to jail for that reason, not the religion. In the US you can go to jail for it just as well. Nice try Hershel, next time give me something a little bit harder, I started school last night and I'm taking ENG 101, this will help with my writing skills.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Ah, religion. Really brings out the best in people.

But this isn't about the religion, it's about forgery on court official documents. That's the part they didn't want you to read about. I have a Muslim card that was issued when I got married to my wife. I use my birth name here in the US, but over there they address me as Abdul Kareem, and I was informed of the severity when one tries to alter any religious or official document. And Malaysia is very laid back, so I can only imagine what it's like in the Cairo.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

But this isn't about the religion, it's about forgery on court official documents. That's the part they didn't want you to read about. I have a Muslim card that was issued when I got married to my wife. I use my birth name here in the US, but over there they address me as Abdul Kareem, and I was informed of the severity when one tries to alter any religious or official document. And Malaysia is very laid back, so I can only imagine what it's like in the Cairo.

I didn't look up the story like you did! I, foolishly, believed the original post. That's what I get for trusting Fox News.

[aaydrian 479]

Initially I was going to comment on the OP but then I too saw it was a Faux news link and I quit while I was ahead. Good thing too. Now that the truth has been revealed then in prison these criminals shall stay.

PS English 101? Is that compulsory and would you brig Run with you?

[^_^ 5,021]

But this isn't about the religion, it's about forgery on court official documents. That's the part they didn't want you to read about. I have a Muslim card that was issued when I got married to my wife. I use my birth name here in the US, but over there they address me as Abdul Kareem, and I was informed of the severity when one tries to alter any religious or official document. And Malaysia is very laid back, so I can only imagine what it's like in the Cairo.

They make you take an Arabic name and yet you want to tell us there isn't something deeply nutty about it?

[aaydrian 479]

I didn't look up the story like you did! I, foolishly, believed the original post. That's what I get for trusting Fox News.

I'm truly disappointed Evylin. You get an F+ for deductive skills.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Initially I was going to comment on the OP but then I too saw it was a Faux news link and I quit while I was ahead. Good thing too. Now that the truth has been revealed then in prison these criminals shall stay.

PS English 101? Is that compulsory and would you brig Run with you?

Well, wife of Mahomed(sp) showed me that even though some people are too stuck in their ways of bigotry and hatred, there are those who are simply misinformed. As a muslim and an Africna American I have double duty to be an example to what we can achieve when given the chance.

Lol for me yes, I took the placement test and scored a 95 on the reading and 87 on writing, just one point shy of second semester reading class. So at least I am reading and writing on a college level. Math is a whole another subject, I won't even post that score. I am taking tutoring on Saturdays to get my skills up so I can place higher.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Not to mention the Pat Robertson founded American Center for Law and Justice talking head quoted, and the execrable Hudson Institute.

It sounds like an issue of fraud, as opposed to religious prosecution, the conversion being for the purpose of obtaining money. That's problematic, and the jail sentences are preposterous, but doesn't make the guys quoted here any less full of #######. Pat Robertson', smdh.

So it's not true then ???

[decocker 7,198]

So it's not true then ???

try again, reading comprehension is key.