news that two young women retained their Christian identity Saturday, February 4.
Now 18 and 19 years old, Iman and Olfat Malak Ayet were reportedly issued national identity cards matching their Christian birth certificates following a long court battle. Their father had converted to Islam when they were infants, but the women later became Christians.
In the final verdict, presiding Judge Farouk Ali Abdel Kader of Cairo’s District No. 1 Administrative Court said the civil authorities had conducted a "non-justified intervention" by imposing upon the two plaintiffs a belief they had not chosen, Compass Direct news agency reported. "It is not in any way acceptable that the civil authorities take advantage of their authority to force the plaintiffs to embrace Islam," the ruling specified.
SIGNIFICANT MOVE
The move is seen as significant as Coptic women throughout the country have been pressured to concert to Islam, with reports that girls were kidnapped by militants, human rights groups say.
Religious tensions remained high after last month one Coptic Christian died and a dozen others were injured when Muslim militants set fire to a Christian community center in Upper Egypt.
The killed man, identified as Coptic Christian Kamaal Shaker, died of injuries he received when a group of Muslims attacked an Orthodox-owned building in the town of el-Udaysaat, near the city of Luxor, Egyptian media reported.
DOZEN INJURED
About 12 members of both communities were also reportedly injured in the subsequent clashes, as well as two policemen. On Saturday, February 4, however these differences seemed briefly forgotten as the country united in grief, and prayers were said by survivors of the Egyptian ferry that sank in the Red Sea Friday, February 3.
Survivors told reporters that the captain had fled the burning ship by lifeboat and abandoned the nearly 1,400 passengers and crew members on board to their fate.
Rescue workers have recovered 195 bodies from the Red Sea, but about 800 more people, were still missing on Saturday, February 4. It was unclear how many Christians were among the victims. Most of the perished passengers were believed to be Egyptian workers returning from a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. (With reports from Egypt).
