Egypt: Young woman forced back to Christianity after converting to Islam

The case of an Egyptian young woman who publicly converted to Islam then appeared a few days later with her family praying inside a Church has stirred controversy on social media, amid reports she was forced back to Christianity.

Local media sites identified the young woman as Maryam Samir Fayez, a research assistant at the University of Arish.

According to the sites, the young woman’s family lost contact with her on 30 July after she told them that she would be busy. Later, she appeared in a video on YouTube in which she announced that she had converted to Islam and presented a certificate of conversion to Islam officially signed by Al-Azhar.

In the video, Maryam stressed that she had not been kidnapped, and that her decision was of her own free will.

The young woman’s family reported that she had been kidnapped and said the State Security has returned her to the church through a person named Naguib Gabriel.

Gabriel appeared in a video clip, with the young woman and her family while they were praying inside the church.

However, social media users said the young woman was forced back to Christianity.

Over the past years, the issue of Egyptian Copts’ conversion to Islam has sparked widespread controversy, amid accusations that the church was kidnapping those who take this step, and forcing them back to Christianity.

Social media users have also criticised what they described as “the silence of Al-Azhar” on such issues, and the failure to demand the state protect the freedom of those who want to become Muslim.

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