Egypt: 'Two teenage Christian sisters in Egypt have gone to court to contest the forced change of their official religious identity to Islam. Iman and Olfat Malak Ayet, now 17 and 18 years of age, were raised as Christians by their Coptic Orthodox mother. Their father left his Christian wife, baby daughter and unborn child in 1986, converted to Islam and married a Muslim. He changed his daughters’ official identities from Christian to Muslim several years before his death in November 2002. In order to enter their final school examinations and then apply for university acceptance, the Christian sisters must first be issued their national I.D. cards. The formal identity cards will declare them Muslims if the State Council verdict, due at the end of November, isn’t in their favor. “How can these children be forced to become Muslims, when they have never practiced Islam in their entire lives?” Coptic Christian lawyer Naguib Gabriel asked the court at the third trial hearing on July 6.' (Compass Direct)