Cairo (AsiaNews) – Disturbing signs of limited religious freedom among Christian minority communities are increasing in the country. Of the 22 converts from Islam to Christianity arrested last October, then released on bail (as reported by AsiaNews), two were placed under arrest again on the night of last Dec. 16.  

The two men were Aziz Zakher e Sharif Kameel Nazer, deprived of their freedom without any arrest warrant. There were interrogated by Officer Sayed Zaki, who is known for his hatred of converts. The men were accused of falsifying official documents.   

The Egyptian Constitution and law guarantee equality of rights and duties for both Muslims and Christians. Yet in reality, Egypt recognizes the conversion of Christians to Islam but does not so for Muslim converts to Christianity. A Christian who has become a Muslim can obtain a new I.D. card in less than 24 hours, documenting his new Islamic names. This procedure, on the other hand, is impossible for Christians who are former Muslims. For the Egyptian state registry office, they remain Muslims forever.   

Such religious discrimination creates huge problems, particularly for Muslim women converts to Christianity before getting married to Christian men. Egyptian law, inspired by the Shariah (Koranic law), banns mixed marriages between a Muslim woman and a Christian man. According to the Shariah, a Christian man must first convert to Islam before marrying a Muslim woman. To do otherwise is punishable by death. Children of mixed marriages are Muslim by law.

In addition to the handicap of not being able to profess freely their religious belonging, Christian converts from Islam suffer subtle forms of persecution.   

Bulos (Paul) Rezk-Allah, a Christian man who married Muslim convert to Christianity  was arrested last 28 November at the Libyan border whole attempting to leave Egypt in order to go to Canada. After being held by police for 12 hours, he was released but arrested again and led to the state security general headquarters in Cairo, where he was questioned by Officer Hussein Gohar.

Bulos Rezk-Allah had been arrested once before, suspected of having encouraged his wife to convert. Police wanted to know where his wife was. Officer Hussein Gohar said he would capture his wife wherever she was, even abroad if necessary, and kill her with his own bare hands. Bulos was ordered not to leave the country     

Another form of anti-Christian intolerance stems from an incident occurring at 11:30 a.m. last Jan. 5 at a Christian help center in Patmos, located 30 km east of Cairo. For the 9th time in less than 6 years, the Egyptian army attacked the building in an attempt to knock it down with 600 soldiers and 2 bulldozers. An employee died during the raid, while two were wounded. Accrording to a Jan. 25 2003 city ordinance, no building can be located within 100 meters from Cairo-Suez street.       

The outer wall of the Patmos center lays 50 meters form the street, but it was built 50 years ago when the law still didn't exist. And yet there are at 15 mosques which lay no more than 10-15 from the edge of the same street. According to Church authorities, the government order was issued by the minister of defense, who has opposed the Christian center in Patmos since 1997. The center has lent its assistance to handicapped persons, the mentally ill and orphans for over 50 years.