Christian Woman Sentenced for Father’s Mistakes
Imagine you are two years old and your father leaves the family. Your mother is heartbroken and scared, you don’t understand why Daddy left, and the family is in turmoil. But three years later, your father returns, settles back into the family, and you spend the rest of your childhood and adolescence with two loving parents. Then suddenly at the age of 47, you are sentenced in a court of law to spend three years in jail for your father’s actions during his years away when you were a toddler.
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But this scenario actually happened to Shadia Nagui Ibrahim, an Egyptian woman who lists her official religion as Christian. Her mother was Christian. Her father was Christian. She has always been a Christian. Or so she thought. It turns out that her father converted to Islam during his time away, and then had documents forged to convert back to Christianity when he returned. Shadia never knew. But the Egyptian government, continuing its long history of Christian persecution in a country 90% Muslim, claims she committed fraud because her father is still considered Muslim.
In Egypt, the rule is apparently once a Muslim, always Muslim. And a daughter is the same religion as her father. It takes very little time and effort to officially become a Muslim. You can spend a lifetime trying to officially become a Christian. Egypt’s policies on religion seek to effectively remove free choice of any but Muslim practices. And now this woman, who received a very brief trial, will spend the next three years in a prison for a crime she didn’t commit, over a religion she didn’t choose, and for events that happened around her when she was of an age (2 to 5 years old) that no individual would consider an age of responsibility.
As far as I am concerned, the only fraud this poor woman has committed was to believe in the laws of a country that forces a person to declare a religion, and orders a daughter to pay for the sins of her father.
Lord Jesus, please bring comfort to Shadia Nagui Ibrahim in this time of trial. She has lived her life for you, believing in you and declaring your name in a place where only 10% percent of her countrymen worship you. She needs your strength and your hope, and her family needs your support. Shine a light that cannot be hidden into the government-sanctioned persecution of your people and use her story to bring about change for your glory. Amen.
christian women, christian persecution, Egypt, religion, faith
November 28th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Thanks for blogging about this and reminding us how precious our faith is and the cost that some pay by making a profession of faith in Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
A heartbreaking story; I agree with your prayers that this woman may have strength, courage and an abundance of grace to endure this current test of faith.
Blessings to you, Kat
December 19th, 2007 at 1:50 am
Dear Christian Woman!
I found your blog really nice and i hope to see alot more on it.
I read your blogs and this particular blog made me write a comment.
I think there are misunderstandings that we need to remove before reaching any conclusion. First, in the land of Egypt, its not 10% who dont believe in Christ as i think its a land where 100% believe in him for one cant be Muslim without believing in Christ as a prophet. We do not call him God but then at least we do call him our Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and without believing in his Prophecy, we cant be Muslims.
Secondly, Islam never allow oppression of anyone based on his religion or race. In fact, Islam do order the Muslim rulers to wage “Jihad”, i would repeat to Wage Jihad against anyone who harm the non muslim population under the Islamic Government. Those who die in this fight for the protection of non muslims living under Islamic government is very highly rewarded and the person are called Martyr. The irony of the matter is that no Washington Post or CNN ever described this side of Islam.
My dear friend, as a logical person we can never judge any nation or any religion based on the subjective judgement of few people who call themselves Muslims hence it would be totally wrong to project Islam as a religion of the Terrorists when we have never actually read it.
I will join you in prayers for the Shadia for what ever happened to him is wrong under any law, not to mention the Islamic laws, which also term it wrong. Moreover, I would like to bring it into your notice that Egypt do have 90% Muslims, but still it dont follow the Islamic Jurisprudence, and most of the laws are based on the Colonial rulers, i.e British laws. The same is the case in Pakistan and India.
May God have mercy on Shadia and give her courage to face this situation. Amen