Additional Name(s): Nour Fayez Ibrahim Gerges, نور فايز إبراهيم جرجس
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Egypt
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: November/1/2021
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Apostasy Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Other) Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Online Activity Religious Belief Religious Expression
Nature of Charges: Blasphemy Terrorism
Nour Fayez
Extra Bio Info:
Nour Fayez Ibrahim Gerges is an Egyptian activist currently detained on a religious basis.
On November 1, 2021, authorities arrested and potentially forcibly “disappeared” Mr. Fayez Ibrahim.
On December 25, 2021, he reappeared before state security prosecutor. He is purported to have led a Facebook group for discussion of the heavenly religions and to help people wishing to change their religion from Islam to Christianity. On an unspecified date, he was charged with leading a terrorist group and despising the heavenly religions.
In February 2023, the Cairo Criminal Court renewed his detention.
Sources:
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USCIRF Country Update: Religious Freedom Conditions in Egypt August 2023
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“تجديد حبس نور فايز واللاجئ اليمني عبد الباقي سعيد المتهمين بازدراء الأديان والمبادرة المصرية تطالب مجددًا بإخلاء سبيلهما” Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
Additional Name(s): Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed Khalifa, أحمد محمد أحمد خليفة
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Egypt
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
Date of Detainment: May/9/2022
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Other)
Nature of Charges: Blasphemy Terrorism
Ahmed Mohamed
Extra Bio Info:
Ahmed Mohamed is detained for blasphemy.
On May 9, 2022, security officials arrested Mohamed at his home in a village in the Fayoum Governorate. He reportedly remained forcibly disappeared for several days until he reappeared before the state security prosecutor. Mohamed was charged with leading a terrorist group that disrespects “heavenly” religions, desecration of religious symbols, and publicly violating one of the “heavenly” religions.
In March 2023, the Cairo Criminal Court renewed Mohamed’s detention as his case remains under investigation.
Mohamed’s requests to be examined by a psychiatrist have repeatedly been denied.
Sources:
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USCIRF Country Update: Religious Freedom Conditions in Egypt August 2023
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“تجديد حبس أحمد محمد بتهمة ازدراء الأديان السماوية والمبادرة المصرية تطالب بإخلاء سبيله والتوقف عن ملاحقة أصحاب الآراء الدينية المخالفة للسائد” Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
Jul 14, 2023
USCIRF Welcomes President Biden’s Appointment of Susie Gelman to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced today the appointment of Susie Gelman to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
“USCIRF welcomes Susie Gelman, bringing together a full complement of nine Commissioners,” stated USCIRF Chair Abraham Cooper. “Her expertise and insight on global antisemitism and freedom of religion or belief will be a great addition to help support the Commission’s mission to unflinchingly identify threats to international religious freedom.”
Susie Gelman served as board chair of Israel Policy Forum from 2016-2023. She previously served for three terms as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, one term as Federation’s campaign co-chair, and is a lifetime member of the Federation’s Board of Directors. She previously co-chaired the Israel Religious Expressions Platform (iRep) of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), an initiative that focused on pluralism through freedom of choice of marriage in Israel.
Gelman was the inaugural chair of the Birthright Israel Foundation and served for many years as a member of its board as well as the Taglit-Birthright Israel Planning Committee. She served as co-chair of UJC (now JFNA) Israel and co-chaired JFNA’s General Assembly in Jerusalem in both 2003 and 2013. Susie is a member of the Board of Governors of The Hebrew University, an honorary fellow of Brandeis University, and is past president of the Georgetown Day School Board of Trustees, where she served on the board for 12 years. She is the past president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, where she continues to serve on the board.
“We are fortunate to have Susie Gelman join the Commission at a time where we are seeing a significant rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias throughout the world,” USCIRF Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie added. “Her work in human rights offers a unique perspective to advocate on behalf of those persecuted for their religion or belief.”
USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and leadership of both political parties in the Senate and House of Representatives.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected]