|
A
Christian mother in Egypt has won custody of her twin
sons from her estranged husband who had converted to
Islam and claimed them according to Islamic legal
precepts. The boys, however, will still be considered
Muslims despite their desire to remain Christian.
On Monday, June 15, the Egyptian Court of Cassation
ruled that Kamilia Gaballah could retain custody of two
of her sons, Andrew and Mario, even though the father
converted to Islam and the boys’ religion also changed
as a result. If the court does not allow them to return
to Christianity, the family will open up another court
case, said their older brother, George Medhat Ramses.
The decision overturns a September 2008 ruling by the
Alexandria Appeals Court that had granted custody of the
twins to their father, Medhat Ramses Labib, due solely
to his conversion. During this time Gaballah lived in
constant fear police would take away her sons. The
ruling also affirmed Egypt’s Personal Status Law which
states children should remain with their mother
regardless of religion until age 15.
|
