Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

The families of eight Coptic girls, who have all disappeared, have found themselves forced

to go to the Egyptian presidency after the security forces failed to find their daughters.

All their

demonstrations and a sit-in in the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral failed to bring back the eight girls, the author

Shrīn Rabī‘ said.

Sawt al-Umah met with Yvonne Sidqī, mother of one

of these girls, Sāra Subhī, who said that her daughter left home to attend mass at church, noting

that when it was late she tried to call her daughter on the cell phone, but the phone was switched off. The mother

asserted that there were similar cases in her family, like those of her husband’s sisters who embraced Islām

and married Muslims 15 years ago.

A brother of another girl, Nour Jābir ‘Ayād, 18

years, said that his sister had a relationship with a young Muslim, whom he accused of kidnapping his

sister.

‘Imād Ghatās, brother of the third girl, Māryān

Ghatās, a student in the Faculty of Law, who disappeared on November 11, 2005, accused a policeman in

Qinā governorate of kidnapping his sister, claiming that the Interior Ministry was protecting the

policeman.

The family of the fourth girl, Mārī sa‘d, stated that their daughter

went for a walk with her girlfriend and disappeared suddenly. They filed a police report and tried to phone her on

her mobile, but it was switched off.

The fifth girl, Ivatouma Fahmī, 26 years, disappeared from Beni

Suef governorate, called a neighbor of her family and told him that she had run away and embraced

Islam.

Dīnā Sāmī Yousuf, student in Faculty of Literature, English section, 20

years, disappeared on September 10, 2005. Her mother filed a police report accusing her colleague, a young Muslim,

of kidnapping her daughter.

The family of the seventh girl, Rānyā Fāyiz Butrus, stated

that their daughter had been missing since November 11, 2005, noting that they headed for the presidency to force

the interior minister to exert efforts to get back their daughter.

The last girl, Māryān

Ra’fat ‘Ajāybī, disappeared on November 12, 2005. Her family accused a young Muslim

of kidnapping her and forcing her to embrace Islām before marrying him.