The Security of Gharbia district is an "accomplice" in not returning toddler Parthenia to her mother before the Orthodox Christmas on 7th January. A security officer refused to bring back Pathenia under the pretext that she became a Muslim.
Inspite of a second court order to give custody of the child to her mother, the security authorities are still refusing to impliment it.
In a telephone conversation yesterday between Dr. Gibraeel and the Director of Gharbia Security, Major General Ramsey Tallab, the latter promised to bring the child to her mother when she goes to Gharbia district on New Year’s Eve.
Major General Tallab retracted his promise and now says: "we will not look for the child, if you know her address, come back and tell us"!!!
Dr.Gibraeel is to bring a disciplinary case against the Director of Security for non-implementation of the court rulings, and accuses him of complicity. He will also submit a complaint to the Minister of the Interior.
Dr. Gibraeel insists that the toddler should be brought back to spend the Christmas festivities with her mother.
Dr. Naguib Gibraeel,
President of the " Egyptian Union"Organization for Human Rights
The two-and-half year old Parthenia was abducted on 11.7.2008 by her divorced father Fady Labbib, who converted to Islam.
Tanta Family Court ordered on 2.8.2008, and again on 25.12.2008, that Parthenia should be handed over to her mother, Mervat Rizkallah.
Inspite of the court rulings, the security authorities in Tanta are refusing to impliment it. The mother was given eight appointments to collect the child, and on each occassion the security authorities continue to delay and find excuses or not delivering the child to her mother.
An officer at the Investigation Section of Tanta Police argue that the name of the child has now become ‘Salma’ and her religion has changed to Islam. According to the law in Egypt, children of a Muslim parent, have to change their religion to follow the ‘better religion’.
Voice of the Copts, appeals once again, to Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak,in her capacity as President of the Advisory Board to the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood to intervene to enable mother and child regain their basic human rights. We also appeal, once again, to Ambassador Moushira KHATTAB, Secretary General, The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, Egypt, and member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, to intervene so that a mother is not deprived of the custody of her little girl, and to receive equal treatment, since, we believe, that there is no difference between a Coptic and a Muslim child.