CAIRO: Sectarian strife between Muslims and Christians in Egypt is fuelled by the kidnapping of Christian women and forcing them convert into Islam, as reported in Spero News site. Reports stated Coptic activists claimed 150 young Christian women and girls disappeared since 1993. They were abducted and forced to convert into Islam in order to marry. Meanwhile, Muslims said these women left their homes because of family problems or to get married against their families' will. Reports mentioned there was an accident in Minya, Upper Egypt governorate, when two girls, 14 year old Nancy and 16 year old Christine, were reported missing on June 12. Police found them later in Cairo, wearing niqab, veils covering the face. However they could be recognized by the Coptic cross tattooed on their forehead. The two girls were transmitted to psychiatric hospital in Cairo but it is still unclear whether they escaped or kidnapped, according to the reports. Reports show some analysts accuse the untrue and hasty explanation for the incidents, such as reasons for the abduction is because of "religious purposes." This term fuels strife and tension among Egyptian Muslims and Christians. Reports mentioned this strife happened intensely when the former regime was toppled. Reports also mentioned it was always the extremists who don't have any kind of conscience and mentioned Imbaba's incidents in May when 12 people were killed, Christian and Muslim. The incident happened when rumors of kidnapping a Coptic girl spread. Rumors included her being detained in one of the churches. It turned out to be a lie.
