Over the past few days, I heard many statements concerning the four children accused of contempt of Islam and seeking asylum in Switzerland.
The four children (Albert Shehata, Clinton Faraj Allah, Mueller Yassa, and Bassem Younan) had appeared in a video criticizing ISIS. However, those who support ISIS in Egypt decided to revenge for it by destroying theses children using the law of contempt of religion. This law that only punishes people for contempt of Islam since nobody was actually punished for contempt of Christianity. Nobody wants to stop those inciting hatred in our society.
I don’t know how the four children could escape to Tureky and then to Switzerland. I don’t care whether national security police has helped them or didn’t know about their escape. The question should be: why those children decided to flee their country? Imagine those Christian children facing imprisonment and then long term punishment by the fanatics who enjoy hurting the others and destroy their lives.
Let’s think about those children and their fathers whose children are threatened. They can’t watch their children suffering without trying to help them even against the law, especially when their homeland insists to treat Christians as second degree citizens ignoring equal citizenship.
The escape of these children will never be distortion of reputation of Egypt, but rather their persecution in their home country that belongs to the Salafis and negotiate with those who incite hatred.
I know that those children will have much better future in Switzerland that respects individual freedoms and decent eduction. Egypt may regret one day for persecuting them, especially when they become very valuable in their new community. Dear Albert Shehata, Clinton Faraj Allah, Mueller Yasa, and Basem Younan, I wish you better future and consolation for staying away from your parents.
