Leaders of the Coptic Church in Egypt are expressing serious concerns over recent tactics exercised by militant Muslim shop owners to trick Coptic girls into signing official conversion documents.
Reports from the American Coptic Association claim that when Coptic girls go to some of these stores, they are told that they have won a contest. In order to receive their prize, they need to go upstairs and sign a document confirming the receipt. Often they do not read carefully enough to realize that they are actually signing an official confirmation that they have converted to Islam. Those young women who resist have been accused of theft and strip-searched. There have also been several reports of rape and despite efforts by family members, the girls are not returned to their families.
Police have done little in response. The leader of the Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III, has called on the authorities to "take a decisive position" on the situation. The American Coptic Association is presently gathering the names of the stores involved in this practice of exploiting young women in order to better publicize this atrocity.
Pray that Egyptian authorities will take action against these forced "conversions" to Islam. Pray for wisdom, strength and trust in God for the young women tricked into signing these papers.
For more information on challenges facing the Church in Egypt, click here.
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