From Chrisma News Service, Nov. 13, 2003
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Some 22 Christians, many secret converts from Islam to Christianity, were recently arrested in a new crackdown on apostates and their supporters. According to The Barnabas Fund, the believers -- who were arrested beginning Oct. 21 -- were taken from Alexandria to police stations in Cairo, where they were beaten, interrogated and tortured.
The converts and the other Christians have been charged with falsifying official identity cards and papers. Other believers fear the arrests will continue and many other converts from Islam, who have been living quietly as Christians will be arrested.

Although Egypt, which is 90 percent Muslim, has no law against apostasy from Islam, converts to Christianity -- in practice -- are targeted by police who try to force them to return to Islam.

A Christian who converts to Islam can receive new identity papers with an adopted Muslim name within 24 hours. However, it is impossible for Muslims who convert to Christianity to change to a Christian name, The Barnabas Fund said.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian Coptic Christian teenager, kidnapped in September by Muslims who claim she converted to Islam, is being refused access to her Christian family.

Ingy Nagy Edwar, 19, is reportedly being held against her will by a Muslim couple in the Haram District of Giza, which is adjacent to Cairo, Compass Direct reported. State police officials temporarily detained her father and other relatives a few days after her disappearance, showing them an alleged declaration of conversion to Islam signed by Edwar.