I am writing to ask you take a few minutes to take action on behalf of Mohammed Hegazi. He is being detained in prison as I write this and has a court date scheduled on December, 28th. We know that he has been beaten, and is being detained on charges that are spurious, and in one instance, beyond the statute of limitations.
See, Mohammed Hegazi is the very first Egyptian to legally attempt to change his personal identification card from Muslim to Christian. Hegazi converted to Christianity in his teen years, married a fellow convert, and now has two children (who fled Egypt and have sought asylum in Europe.) Hegazi took on a Christian name and now calls himself Bishoy Armia Boulous.
You may ask why this matters?
In Egypt, many facets of life are determined by your faith and what faith is registered on your national ID card. Since Boulous’s card says he’s a Muslim, his children would also be considered Muslims by the state, regardless of their beliefs. They would then be forced to study Islam in school. Marriage, inheritance, custody, and many other issues are all impacted by this simple designation.
Unfortunately, Boulous did not win this right that his Muslim counterparts enjoy even though religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution. In fact, it further proved what the Copts of Egypt have long known to be true…they are second class citizens and do not have the same rights and privileges that Muslims have.
That’s why Boulous’ case is so important. It’s a litmus test for the new Eygptian government. Will authorities continue imprisoning and harassing citizens at will with impunity independent from the new Constitutional guarantees?
The morphing charges leveled at Boulous by police, his immediate re-arrest after he was last released in 2014, and physical violence he has endured while imprisoned, make clear that the driver of repeated harassment, is his conversion from Islam to Christianity.
Boulous has faced numerous charges, stints in prison, harassment, and beatings. Members of the Security establishment have fabricated these charges against Hegazi as is common in Egypt. The various charges leveled at him are a mere distraction from the clearly real reason that the Egyptian government will not leave him in peace…and this is for his choice to leave Islam and become a Christian.
With his court date fast-approaching, we are asking supporters to please take action on behalf of Boulous by sending a message to the Egyptian Ambassador in the US , Mohamed Tawfik, asking him to raise this case with President El-Sissi. We have provided a pre-written letter. You can choose to personalize this message which will make it more effective, then click submit.
Coptic Solidarity urges President El-Sissi to ensure charges against Boulos are overturned, and all of the outstanding charges against him dismissed with final effect. Coptic Solidarity requests that Bishoy Boulous be immediately released and that those responsible for misusing the justice and security apparatus against him are held accountable.
Sincerely,
Advocating with you,
Lindsay Vessey
Director of Advocacy & Development
Coptic Solidarity
ذهبنا اليوم الى كنيستنا الصغيره الضيقه جدا على الشعب المسيحى بالقريه ( قريتنا التابعه لمركز مطاى والواقعه على الطريق الزراعى مصر – أسيوط ) فقط لنثبت لسيادة محافظ المنيا ولكل الدنيا أن المكان ضيق بالفعل لدرجة أن من صلوا بالشارع خارج الكنيسه كانوا أكثر كثيرا من اللذين كانوا بداخلها وقام بالتصوير من قام وحضر رئيس المجلس القروى التابعه له قريتنا ( لست أعرف إسمه ) ليقول لنا ويتحفنا سيادته بمقولة أن المبنى الذى نريد فتحه ككنيسه غير مرخص ومبنى على أرض زراعيه والأكثر أنه هدد الواقفين جميعا بعمل محاضر مخالفة بناء على أرض زراعيه لكل بيوت الناحية البحريه من القريه والتى هى عشرات بل المئات من البيوت المقامه منذ مايقرب من النصف قرن من الزمان ، عن أى هراء يتكلم هذا الرجل ؟ هل كل ذلك ليقنعنا بعدم جدوى محاولاتنا لقتح كنيسه كبيره تليق بقريتنا وبالشعب المسيحى لقريتنا ؟ لن نكف عن محاولاتنا السلميه ماحيينا ….. ثم لو أن الأمر كما قال رئيس المجلس القروى فماذا عن جامع ( مسجد ) تم إفتتاحه بواسطة محافظ المنيا منذ عشرة أيام فقط وهو فى وسط الأراضى الزراعيه بل وفى القلب منها ؟ وعندما قلنا لرئيس المجلس القروى ذلك قال “إنتوا هاتقلبوها إشمعنى ؟” وهل هناك لدى أى عاقل قول آخر غير “إشمعنى” ؟ ولماذا ياأسيادنا الكيل بمكيالين ؟ أوليس الجامع مثل الكنيسه ؟ أم أنه كلام فى الهواء ؟
We went to our small and very narrow church in our village ( on the main agricultural road Cairo-Asute ) just to prove to the governor of El-Menya and to all that the church is really narrow so that the people whom prayed out the small and narrow building were more and more much than whom prayed inside, some people took pictures. The President of the Council of the village has arrived just to tell us that the big building which we want to open it as a church instead of the narrow one is built on an agricultural land !!!! not only that but also threaten all the attendant people that he will create an illegal record against them as their homes are also built on an agricultural land !!! what a pity ! is that was to convince us to forget about what we are struggle for?, No Sir WE SHALL NEVER. Then if the matter, as the President of the Council of the village said what about the mosque (mosque) was opened by the governor of Minya, just ten days ago, which is in the middle of agricultural land, then why you treat Christians ( Copts ) like this very bad treatment ?