Fanatic Muslims Attacked Christians and Ransacked Their Properties

ICC Note

Fanatic Muslims carried out attacks against Christians in the village of al-Nazla when a Christian woman, who converted to Islam after marrying a Muslim man, ran away from her husband following abuse she suffered at his hands.

By Nader Shukry-Emad Khalil

06/28/2008 Egypt (Watani)-Two years ago 23-year-old Dimiana Makram Hanna went missing from her home in the village of al-Nazla in Fayoum, 100km southwest Cairo . Dimiana’s parents reported her missing at the local police station, and were told a few days later that she had converted to Islam and married one Mohamed al-Sayed Zaki. As is customary, the police refused to let the young woman’s parents or the local church priest see her, and the family realised they had forever lost their daughter.

A few months later, however, the family fell victim to a swindler who persuaded them he could let them see their missing daughter whose address he claimed to know. When her brothers Maged and Boutros Hanna, accompanied by friends from Cairo, headed to that address they were captured by the police, charged with attempting to abduct their sister, thrown into prison for two weeks, and were only released following huge demonstrations by Copts.

Running away

On Friday 20 June rioting erupted in Nazla as Muslim villagers went on a looting and destruction rampage against Copts’ homes, businesses, and cars following news that Dimiana—known as Dalia Mohamed since she converted—together with her 10-month baby Seif al-Islam, had run away from her husband a day earlier while on a visit to Cairo.

The rioting started on Friday afternoon when Muslims roaring Islamic slogans began to attack Copts’ houses and shops. Although local security officials had anticipated the rioting and called for extra forces from the neighbouring village to stop any attack, they could neither prevent the attack nor stop it once it started. They finally resorted to the use of tear gas to disband the rioters, and were able to control the main streets but not the side streets.

Even the village church and the priest’s home were attacked. The rampage lasted until the early hours of dawn of the following day. Security officials imposed a day-long curfew and attempted to hold a reconciliation meeting after they had found Dimiana and returned her to her husband. But the Copts refused to reconcile without the payment of indemnity for their lost and damaged property.

That same police

Fayez Zaki who owns a timber store told Watani that a large number of Muslims fanned out destroying, burning, and looting. They beat and abused the Copts. “My store was completely destroyed,” he lamented. “Some Muslims attempted to kidnap my son Nader but were stopped by some others. I was astonished for I have good relations with my Muslim neighbours so I could find no logical explanation for what happened. I went to the police and reported the incident.”

Adel Halim, a labourer, said that he returned home from work in the neighbouring village to find the doors and windows of his home ruined, all the electric appliances stolen and even the beds broken.

Dimiana’s other uncle Gamil Hanna said that if it were not for his Muslim neighbours, his house would have been torched by the mob. “The police did not come till it was too late. And then they seemed actually happy that we were being ruined,” he said.

It is common knowledge that Dimiana had fled a husband she did not wish to live with. She stayed away for some two days then, hearing of the riots in her village and the great harm inflicted upon the Copts, and that her uncles had been questioned by the police, she handed herself in on Friday evening.