Christian women in Egypt raped and forced into conversion-Part 2

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] 

Coptic women are the main target of human trafficking by the Muslim extremist

Unlike some  people are not aware, many news media reveals that trafficking Coptic teenagers by the Muslim men is neither new nor rare incident. Coptic girls have lived under threats of abduction, rape, forced conversion and marriage to Muslim for a long time. A decade ago, a teenage Christian girl was abducted, raped multiple times, and forced into conversion to Muslim[7]  In 2003, a 19 years old Christian girl was kidnapped and held against her will by a couple. She converted to Islam by coercion. When her brother spoke to her, she reportedly expressed a suicidal thoughts. [8] In 2005, a 20 years old Coptic woman left a work and quit her job five days later. When she contacted her family, she was converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man. When her family asked her husband whereabout, he refused to disclose their residence. [9] In 2006,  a 15 years old girl escaped from a team of Muslim kidnappers, who abducted and threatened her with rape to convert to Muslim. When she reported to the police station, the police man said that unless she denies the kidnap incident, she would never see her parents again.[10] In 2006, a  19 years old Christian girl contacted her family that she was imprisoned and was forced to convert to Islam 3 weeks later she has been missing. When her brother found her, she was living with a Muslim family and converted to Muslim. [11]

 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]**

 For full article, visit Examiner.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** For further information on the abuse of Christian women by Muslims, check out these resources: 

Christians Under Sharia Law

Muslim Extremists