‫بسم اهلل الرمحن الرحيم‬

Rescue Kidnapped Kamelia

Report prepared and edited by

Dr. Royked Bin Salih Altamimi
Ok1395@hotmail.com

0303/30/03
 1. Who Is Kamelia Shehata?

First, her name is Kamelia Shehata Zakher, 25 years old and a wife of the Rev. Thaddeus
Simon Rizk the priest of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Deir Mawas in Minia
Governorate in southern Egypt. Kamelia who holds a degree in science and teaches it,
was apparently unhappy about her husband’s misconduct towards other associate
Christian women at the Church and questionable money deposit practice that he was
indulge into.

2. How did the story start?

She was introduced to Islam by a fellow Muslim teacher with whom Kamelia was
working. Furthermore she was fund of her aunt who was courageously decisive after a
long suffering from her homosexual husband. She spent long time trying to divorce him
and finally got him served. The only outlet was to become a Muslim. From that moment
on, she was assured that Islam is a very practical religion that can solve any problem and
a complete way of life. In July 2009, Kamelia announced to a small group of Muslim
teachers that she freely and knowingly embraced Islam and she became Muslim. The
group made a small party for Kamelia to share with her the joy of the moment.
Additionally, whenever she was asked about her verdict she would reply that she was
moved by the characteristics of the Prophet Mohammed. Precisely, one certain Friday,
she heard a Muslim Imam describing the mannerism of the Prophet Mohammed and
she was so deeply touched with his dutiful and kind behavior towards his friends and
foes. In July of 2010, she felt that she is fed up with her bad husband and she is ready to
follow in the footsteps of her aunt. In her Islam, she represent the absolute call for to
quenching her faith needs in which she very found of, this explain her earnest
dedication for memorizing the first four chapters of Qur’an and applying a lot of
Prophet’s teachings.

3. Well-organized plan
It was her fate to have an unintended pregnancy; therefore Kamilia has to preplan her
steps very carefully. She dedicated all 2009 for preparing her migration. After she gave a
birth to her son “Anton”, she devoted all her postpartum period in studying Islam by
busing herself with readying about Islam. Through friendly talk with her Muslim
colleagues, she managed to learn even more about Islam. She was known among her
contemporary that she was heavy reader about Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.
Kamelia realized that she won’t be able to practice her new faith with her Orthodox
husband and family, so she decided to migrate, but how about her new-born son? He
was such an emotional obstacle. She knew that her husband would not hesitate to
accuse her of stealing his son. So, she decided mercifully to leave the sun in his father’s
custody. That explains why she gradually stopped breast feeding the baby. She doesn’t
want to be labeled as robber. So neither she kidnapped the baby nor was she herself
kidnapped.

4. Was she kidnapped?

On 17th of July 2010, she went to the bank to withdraw all the money Teddus have
given her. She enveloped it and put it with a letter to him on her bed. She wants to
made her Islam known to everybody. Through the paltalk, she knew that one local
person would be happy to help her announce her Islam in AlAzhar. So, nobody
kidnapped her, but in contrary, she willingly decided to announce her Islam in AlAzher
as the highest Islamic authority in Egypt. The only thing that she needed was just a guide
to facilitate things for her. For that reason, she met two persons, one is Abu Mohammed
who is an elderly person and a committed person for anybody would like to revert to
Islam. The second individual is Abu Yahiya, a knowledgeable person in comparative
religion studies. Both were known by the Egyptian security forces as reference for new
reverts.

5. Abu Yahiya helper and guide

During this time, the Copts of Egypt were stunted of the news of the Priest’s wife
absence. Not because they care a lot about apostate people who decided to leave their
faith and revert to Islam. They were so fearful that theses up high ranking people may
reveal some unspeakable facts about Christianity once they embraced Islam. Definitely
Priests wives’ Islam would effectuate the whole Coptic society. So Abu Yahiya was called
for help, and voluntarily he answered. She told everybody that evening that she
embraced Islam for one year and a half but the only thing that she asked for is to
declare testimony of Islam publically and officially. Her dream was to go to Makkah to
perform Umrah and that is why she saved the (2000) bounds for that purpose.
One thing that Abu Yahiya was amazed and moved by is the Persistency of Kamelia to
wear niqab, and whenever she was asked about it, she would reply that this is one of
the childhood impulses. Everybody were so confident that her Islam is guanine and
sincere.

6. The way to Al-Azhar

Abu Mahmud and Abu Yahya both accompanied Kamelia to al Azhar to help out with
paper work. As soon as the employee recognized Kamelia’s name he asked, are you’re
the wife of the Almenia Priest? Are you a 25-year old and a science teacher? The
companions were amazed how accurate the description that the staffer had about
Kameila who has never be in Alazhar before. He told them that you have to come back
tomorrow since the person in charge is not available today.
The national security officers were informally following the process. The officer had told
Abu Yahiya to be extremely careful since groups of Christians traveled to Cairo from
Almenia. I managed to run a way, yet they also managed to follow us. But, I realized that
this time they were not Christians, but we were hunted by national guards themselves,
who is expected to guard us. Abu Yahiya told the full story of his with Kamelia and it was
a real sad story.
Up until this point, Kamelia have not been show up publicly in an unbiased media where
she can express herself freely. So unless otherwise is proven, we still believe that she is
a Muslim and will be a Muslim even if she is visibly apostatized under the influence of
magic, drugs and torture. Every person is free of making one’s decision and this should
be a minimum prospective perspective of human right that the Coptic Church doesn’t
even regard. And this is the basic human right that Voltaire, Descartes‫ ‏‬and Rousseau
called for. Verily the Coptic Church is calling us to the darken ages. The Coptic Church
also refused to give Kamelia her own legal right of choice. Additionally Shinoda, [Nader
Jayed] stated that Kamelia will be enclosed inside the Natron Nunneries and won’t be
allowed to media coverage. Verily, this is barbaric.

7. Personal Choice

It is fare enough to demand that we want Kamelia to be interviewed in a neutral media

and allow her to speak of herself. This is a minimum requirement

8. Who kidnapped her?

The Coptic Church is the responsible for Kamelia shehata’s disappearance. According to
Aghabus, who is an authority in the Coptic church, he said that she is now under a
process of what is called “washing the brainwashed” which is an attempt to persuade
her under threats to give up Islam and return to Christianity.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is requested to order an intervention into the
disappearance of Mrs. Kamelia after converted to Islam. Now Kamelia is under a
physical and psychological coercion to force her to apostasy from Christ's church.

9. Freedom of religion
Muslims of Egypt believe that the Coptic Church forcibly hold the priest’s wife Kamelia
Shehata after she converted to Islam. They also condemn Shenuda’s statement that he
won’t allow her to appear in impartial media third party. Inconsistently, Shenuda
refused that Kamelia appear in media, and at the same time they allegedly they show a
duplicated resemblant of her. Now the church is in a weak defensive position since they
are not supported by facts.
Kamelia was definitely was incarcerated against her will by the autocrat church. In
reaction to this rebellious act Muslims decided to Defrock Shenuda since he did officially
has done something outrageously wrong. The Muslims were so compassionate about
Kamelia’s case because it was not a normal domestic dispute, but in contrary, it was a
sister who decided to become a Muslim and the church abducted her forcefully trying to
apply pressure on her to apostate from Islam. This course of action is completely
rejected by all legal and civil standards. Al-Azhar needs to Embattled all resources to
free our sister.
We need to request for questioning Shenuda and all Coptic officials, independent
investigation for Kamelia’s detention is their prime objective at this moment if they are
serious of uprooting the sectarian tensions.

10. Internationalization of the issue

All Muslims believe the Shenoda “Nazir Jayd” hold the full responsibility of
overmastering the law and belittle and dethrones the majority Muslim voices. We are
the responsible to invite official bodies to call for a massive intervention of an
investigation into the disappearance of Kamillea Shehata another reverted Muslims. Our
voice need to reach out to the Human Rights Council and the Human Rights Council. No
matter who embraced Islam, it is their own personal choice that we must respect.
Kamelia, even thought she is a wife of priest, which has given her sensitivity of religious
symbolism, yet, her choice is ought to be respected. Therefore, accusation of her being
kidnapped is baseless.

11. Why do they brainwash her?

“We will wash the washed brain” said Saint Agabo or Agabus. He said that because he
approved that Kamelia reverted and converted to Islam otherwise, why bothering
yourself with washing?  . Agabus have said that we managed to bring her back to the
church and he declared in a well-known video that she was brainwashed by Muslims,
and that they are working on washing the brainwashed. By her own hand writing, she
scribed the testimony and prayers

12. Human right are sleepy

Human rights groups are overzealously enthusiastic and concerned with the current
development. Kamelia Shetata’s safety and personal liberty is the responsibility of all of
us. Not as one person who is allegedly in charge of human right associations and when
asked about Kamelia he said that these cases we are not concerned with. Kamelia is a
grown up lady and she can make her own decisions and no one has the right to coerce
anybody to do anything unwillingly.
Kamelia Shetata is rationally competent and there are no legal bases for the church to
transfer her to their religious community when she decided to leave them. This inflames
sectarian tensions between the majority Muslims with Minority Christians. The Islamic
voices are now, more than any other times, united against the Nadther Jayed “shenoda”
continued sectarian conflict sourced by the Coptic Church. Taking our sisters such as
hostage will add only tensions in an alarmingly tense atmosphere. Urgent questions
must be answered: Where is Mariana Makram? Where is Triza Ayaad? Where is Wafa
Qustantin? Where is Kamelia Shahata? Unless you set those sisters free otherwise we
would escalate the situation to disturbing levels.
The Human Rights boutiques should be ashamed of themselves.
"The church detained her in a monastery, which is considered an enforced
disappearance illegal according to the UN until Shehata appears in the media declaring
her legitimate demands."
The Orthodox Church's legal advisor Ramsis El-Naggar, however, denied Shehata's
detention.
"Shehata did not convert to Islam and is not detained in any monastery," he said. "She is
staying in a church-owned guesthouse in Ain Shams upon her own wishes."
 13. What do Muslims need?
Simply, we, Muslims of Egypt will never stop the peaceful and nonviolent
demonstrations against the Orthodox Coptic church of Egypt until Kamelia Shehata and
other fellow Muslim brothers and sisters get immediate released. If anyone wants to be
a Muslim, opportunity must be given to anyone to practice what he/she thing is right.
Safetying Kamelia and others against any injustices is our duty and we don’t
compromise this justified demand and we will apply this via our unstopped peaceful
protests in front of Saint Mark's Cathedral in Abbaseya and mission is condemn
medieval church's kidnapping of Muslims.
The authorities must provide her with all means to live in peace and tranquility. Her text
massage “I will die a Muslim” touched all of us.
The followings are just some of the immediate demands:
(1) It is now needed more than ever to have “Freedom of choice” amendment to
collaterally secure the new reverts from any threat.
(2) Also, it is needed to have an amendment to criminalize anybody or organization
who would violate the previous amendment.
(3) It is the responsibility of the official bodies to provide new reverts with all means
to accommodate their needs.
(4) The church and the mosque are places of worship and not places of hostage. The
law should criminalize any abduction
(5) No one has the right to practice torture to forcefully apostatize from a religion
that she/he chooses.
(6) All mosques and Churches are subject to full inspections.
(7) No one is untouchably superhumanly we are all equal in front of the law. Open
investigation must be open with anybody who is suspected holding anybody.
Muslims will should out loud : “ we will not return without Kamillia”
(8) It is not acceptable nor it’s legal for any church to deactivate any of the
governmental power, decisions and this must be regarded as Scornfulness that is
 condemned. It is the churches responsibility to strengthen the constitution and
abide by law.
(9) Kameila’s story represents the Corruptness of the current government since it is
accused of giving in to the church authorities.
(10) It is the responsibility of the government to condemn and silence any
violence voice which call and encourage for sectarian and congregational
divisions such as “Copts united”. This is a national security that we cannot
compromise
(11) The Coptic Church has accused Muslims of Kamelia’s kidnapping. Now
we are demanding that the church must show that she is safe and willing to stay
with Copts. She must be interviewed by an independent and neutral media to be
asked if she is ok and whether or not she embraced Islam. Otherwise, Copts
must stop claiming that they are oppressed since they are gaolers and jailers,
and our sisters are the ones who are oppressed and jailed.

14. The Tension Between The State And The Church

Although conversions between Christianity and Islam and vice and versa have often led
to sectarian clashes in Egypt, this case has not resulted in violent clashes. In July, when
Kamelia Shehata Zakher first disappeared, Copts in Minya held a sit-in. On Saturday Aug
28, hundreds of Muslims held a peaceful demonstration outside a mosque in Cairo after
evening prayers, demanding that Coptic officials reveal Kamelia Shehata Zakher’s
whereabouts and calling on Al Azhar’s top cleric to take up the issue as well. In addition,
at a press conference held on Aug 30, the International Day of Enforced Disappearance,
the Arabian Network for Human Rights listed Kamelia Shehata Zakher’s case as one of
“forced disappearance”.
Under what circumstances can a president be sued for failing in his presidential duty? If
it is indeed a case of forced disappearance attributable to the Coptic pope, shouldn’t he
be the one being sued instead? The lawyers allege that the Coptic pope’s decision is
sectarian and a threat to Egyptian unity. Isn’t their own action also sectarian and a
threat to Egyptian unity?
The director of the American Islamic Congress, Dalia Ziada, told the media that both
Muslims and Copts are to be blamed. Dalia Ziada said, “Both sides are exaggerating.
The problem in our society is that both sides try to play God and decide for people
which religion to have. This reflects a problem of absence of religious tolerance. In the
end, it’s a matter of personal choice for Shehata.”
The ruling was condemned by Pope Shenouda III who said, “We are only bound by the
Holy Bible and we cannot go against our conscience and comply with a court ruling
which is a civilian ruling and not ecclesiastical.” The pope has warned that priests, who
remarry divorced Christians without valid grounds, will be defrocked.
“We respect the Egyptian judiciary, but nothing on earth can force the Church to violate
the Bible because what God brings together, let no man separate.” Bishop Armia,
secretary to Coptic Pope Shenouda III, said while quoting the Bible. He added that the
State should avoid meddling with religious affairs and respect the people’s freedom to
practice religion. Some Copts feared that the ruling “will only serve to increase the
number of divorces among Copts” which will lead to clashes between divorced Copts
and the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Pope Shenouda III’s lawyer, Ramsis el-Naggar, said the Coptic Orthodox Church will
challenge the Court’s ruling by lodging a case with the Supreme Constitutional Court for
an interpretation of Article 69 which is concerned with the remarriage of divorcees.
Coptic lawyers viewed the ruling “as contrary to the Christian religion.” Attorney Nabil
Gabriel asked, “Is the Court able to oblige the Al-Azhar Grand Imam to make prayers 6
times a day instead of 5? Why does the Court intervene in religious rituals of the Copts
which stem from the Bible?”
And she became Muslim. In July of 2010, she felt that she is fed up with
Sources :
- http://www.archive.org/details/CameliaShehata
- http://www.kamiliashehata.com/