The mother of Parthenia goes on hunger strike over the abduction of her toddler and the unwillingness of the security authorities to bring her back. Tanta Family Court issued on Thursday, 25th December, a ruling once again refusing to keep the child Parthenia, two and a half years, with her father, who converted to Islam, and to hand her over to her mother, Mervat Rizqallah. In spite of this, the security authorities continue to delay delivering the child to her mother. An officer at the Investigation Section of Tanta Police argues that the name of the child has now become ‘Salma’ and her religion has changed to Islam. Dr. Naguib Gabriel, lawyer for the mother, together with the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights, are arranging for a protest in solidarity with the mother in her hunger strike, to be held on Wednesday morning 31/12/2008, in front of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood. We appeal to Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak for the little girl to be with her mother prior to the Christmas (Orthodox Christmas) The Egyptian Federation for Human Rights appeal to President Mubarak to issue his orders to Habib el-Adli, Minister of Interior, to hand over the child to her mother, to celebrate Christmas in her arms. Is it reasonable for a person to manipulate religion and use it as an excuse to take custody of a two and half year child from her Christian mother, under the pretext that she became a Muslim??? Which law, Constitution or Sharia allows compromising the life of a little girl by putting her in danger.
We call upon the support of the international community; the mother’s hunger strike could lead to the loss of a life, after she had lost all hope in the return of her little girl.