By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
CAIRO (Worthy News) - Christians have launched a campaign for a 5-year-old Egyptian Coptic boy who was reportedly taken away from his adoptive parents by Egyptian authorities at age four and forced to become a Muslim.
In a statement seen by Worthy News on Thursday, the Coptic Solidarity advocacy group said that Egyptian legislation does not allow for adoption.
However, it meant that “the 4-year-old child was seized from his loving parents' arms—to cries of "mamma, papa!"—and sent to an orphanage,” in Cairo, the capital, the group added.
"Baby Shenouda" was abandoned as a newborn inside a Coptic Church, according to Christians familiar sigh the case.
“The priest who found him entrusted the baby to a childless couple who had prayed for a baby for many years. Amal Ibrahim and Farouk Fawsi Boulous raised Shenouda as their own child for four years,” Coptic Solidarity added.
After a police report claiming that Amal and Farouk had “kidnapped” Shenouda, Egyptian authorities forcibly “removed him from the only parents and home he'd ever known,” Christians
said.
Since he was taken away in January last year, authorities changed his name to no longer be Christian and converted his religion to Islam, rights activists confirmed.
ISLAMIC TEACHING
“This is based on an Islamic teaching even though not part of Egypt's law,” Coptic Solidarity said, adding that this teaching says “every human being is born as a sort of prototypical Muslim.” They only “lose” their Islam when taught false things or religions, the group complained. Egyptian family status law based on Sharia, or Islamic law, forbids adoption. Some legal experts say such rules should not apply to non-Muslims, Worthy News learned.
“Shenouda's forced "conversion" will impact the entirety of his life in education, employment, and all personal matters,” said Coptic Solidarity which supports Egypt’s minority Christians, known as Copts.
“Shenouda now lives in an orphanage in Cairo and has extremely limited interaction with his adoptive parents. After strong public pressures by the Copts and enlightened Muslims, the adoptive parents were allowed to see the child for a few minutes on December 31,” Coptic Solidarity explained. They “found him deeply distressed and confused.” A court viewing their case to reverse decisions and recover the child was deferred several times but was due on March 18, Christians said.
“The head of the Egyptian National Council on Human Rights, Moushira Khattab, has recently been reported to support the reunification of Shenouda with his adoptive parents. However, the Egyptian government is not taking any active measures to resolve this case,” Coptic Solidarity said.
Coptic Solidarity added that urges all interested Americans to send messages to their U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative. They should ask them “to urge the Egyptian government to reunite Baby Shenouda with his adoptive parents immediately and return of his original name and faith,” Coptic Solidarity said.
It explained that it had provided a sample letter and that the U.S. while they and non-Americans are also encouraged to use social media, such as Twitter, to pressure legislators. “Egypt is an important ally and one of the largest recipients of U.S. foreign aid. It is imperative that the U.S. convey the national value of equality and work to alleviate the systematic discrimination against religious minorities in Egypt.”
Egypt’s government had no immediate comment but has come under pressure to improve the protection and rights of the Christian minority in the Islamic nation.