By Rod Benson
As Christians head off to church services this morning, spare a thought for Christians in Egypt, where “freedom of religion” coexists with the constitutional statement that Islamic law is “the principal source of legislation.”
Sharia law forbids conversion from Islam, and establishes dhimmitude: the subjugation of non-Muslims as second-class citizens who face systematic discrimination and religious apartheid.
When 24-year-old Mohammed Hegazi became a Christian, he applied to have his new status recognised on his Egyptian ID card, so that future children would not be classified as Muslim from birth. What he got was a court ruling and a fatwa against him. Others have suffered the same fate, or been bashed, or simply disappeared.
Christians live at peace with Muslims in Australia, but in other parts of the world the situation is very different. It’s time the Australian government increased the refugee quota for those suffering religious persecution in places like Egypt, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 18 July 2010.
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