Egypt's religious conversion controversy
With the alleged kidnappings of priests’ wives and forced conversions to Islam, Christian and Muslim leaders are renewing efforts to restore official counseling sessions for those wishing to change their religion.
Newspapers and news sites reported on clashes Sept. 15 between security forces and Coptic demonstrators in the town of Jabal al-Tair in Minya governorate. Afterward, demonstrators tried to attack a police station in protest of what they called “the failure of security forces to bring back a kidnapped Coptic lady.” This woman was Iman Morcous Saroufim.
Saroufim, a housewife from the village of Jabal al-Tair, is the immediate relative of a priest, according to some news sites. She had allegedly converted to Islam, reports said, citing a security source close to the Minister of Interior. Christians of Jabal al-Tair protested, while a Coptic lawyer filed a complaint with the attorney general accusing the interior minister of spreading false information about the kidnapped woman.
