Forced Conversions of Christian Coptics in Egypt

Christian Post — A report recently published describes the growing concern surrounding the increasingly common abductions and forced conversions of Coptic Christians in Egypt in the wake of the uprisings that overthrew former President Hosni Mubarak early in 2011.

The report, entitled “Tell My Mother I Miss Her,” was commissioned by Christian Solidarity International (CSI) and reveals with certainty that “Coptic women and girls are deceptively lured or abducted into forced marriages with Muslim men” while also being forced to renounce their faith and convert to Islam. These actions generally occur after the women are threatened or even physically abused.

The findings added to a previous report by CSI published in 2009 entitled, “The Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt,” and aims to illicit action from government bodies and the international community.

The report was authored by Michele Clark, adjunct professor at George Washington University and Nadia Ghaly, a Coptic human rights activist. The research for the report was conducted in Egypt during the political uprising of the Arab Spring in November 2011. During that period Egyptians saw the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and other fundamental Islamist forces.