Groups of Muslims in Luxor demonstrated demanding a Coptic family to hand over their daughter claiming she converted into Islam and got married to a Muslim young man. On the other hand, Copts say the Muslim young man is trying to force their daughter to convert into Islam and marry him. Yet, the Muslims insist she has already converted into Islam and her family is hiding her. However, the Muslims don’t have any prove or documents she married this man or converted into Islam.
Police as usual is supporting the Muslim party and called the Copts to bring their daughter to talk with Muslim clergy and decide whether she wants to convert into Islam or not. In many cases, police refused to allow minor girls to see their families before conversation, yet they accept such demand from a foreign man, which could be repeated just to annoy the Copts.
Demonstrating before houses of the Copts is a repeated action and many times it includes attacking Coptic churches and properties without accountability to the perpetrators which encourages more attacks supported by the shameful customary reconciliation sessions.
Such practices made many Christian families in Egypt to prevent their daughters from having Muslim friends and to avoid dealing with them which have a very bad impact on the society.
Since 2011, Luxor has become a very troublesome province, especially the centers of Adaysat and Tud. I remember four people charged with contempt of religion. In Nag Hassan sectarian incidents, 5 Copts were killed while a church was burned while the congregation was conducting the prayers.
Converting from one religion to another is troublesome in Egypt, but the government supports such right in one way only which is converting into Islam. Pope Tawadros and the leaders of the Coptic Church are also responsible as long as it support the government that conducts such practices.
