10 years imprisonment for a Christian who married Ex-Muslim
From United Copts GB sources
Approximately 3 years ago, Bolis Rezek-Allah, a pharmacist met the Muslim convert Enas Yehya Abdel Aziz, loving relationship was established and the couple wanted to get married. The obstacle was the Egyptian law does not allow a Christian man to marry a Muslim woman but the opposite is permitted.
Also, another obstacle was Enas religion on official papers can not be changed legally in Egypt to reflect her new faith as conversion from Islam is prohibited by law, there is no legal procedure which could be followed to officially change her religion from Islam to Christianity. There is an official procedure for conversion to Islam which is rather encouraged by government agencies as the fees for conversion to Islam is waived by the government.
As the couple met the obstacle of inability to marry legally in Egypt, the only option they had was to change names and religion on ID to assume a Christian name with the help of an employee of the Civil Registry Office Sheriff Metwali. The couple got married in church; the priest not aware that Enas name and religion on ID was changed from the original, conducted their ceremony and they became married.
Egypt, the only option they had was to change names and religion on ID to assume a Christian name with the help of an employee of the Civil Registry Office Sheriff Metwali. The couple got married in church; the priest not aware that Enas name and religion on ID was changed from the original, conducted their ceremony and they became married.The couple later attempted to fly from Egypt but they were caught by police, imprisoned and tortured for a short period during which interrogators beat, insulted and hung the pharmacist by his arms, and accused him of evangelizing Muslims and falsifying legal documents to be release and then taken to court again.
During a previous arrest, under torture, Bolis admitted that when he married his wife Enas, he knew she was a former Muslim who had secretly changed her identity. . . ."Seeing no other solution".
On their Criminal Court hearing at on 9th March 2008, Case No. 12201 2006 North of Cairo Chamber "Shubra", Bolis and his wife enas where given 10 years sentence, the witness of the ceremony his name is Atef was given 10 years imprisonment too as well.
On October 19, the public prosecutor hearing Rezek-Allah’s case agreed to drop the charges against him if he agreed to the cancellation of his illegal marriage certificate. However, the court left Enas named as the 'first accused' on charges of falsifying an official document and blaspheming against a heavenly religion.
The whole saga, this misery and discrimination/ persecution of Christians because of their religion must stop. This unfair situation would not have happened if conversion from Islam was permissible in Egypt.The convicted will be a target for threats, abuse, and attacks and even murder by other inmates in particular Islamists. Prison authorities are expected to ignore such crimes because of their background as apostasy from Islam is viewed seriously by the society now a day as a results of radicalisation of Egypt which took place in recent years.
The United Copts of Great Britain demands the separation of religion from the state in Egypt, the removal of the second article which states that “Egypt is a Muslim country and Islamic jurisprudence is the main source of legislation” and also demand the removal of religious affiliation from the ID cards.