According to International Christian Concern, a Christian mother of three has recently disappeared in lower Egypt. The family asserts that they have received threatening messages saying that they will force her to convert to Islam and if she refuses, then one of her sons will be killed.

The woman’s family attempted to make a report to the police, who refused to accept the case saying the woman left her home of her own free will.

The kidnapping of Christian women is common place in Egypt, particularly in Upper Egypt, where most Christians live. Islamic extremists, in some cases with the knowledge or aid of the police, kidnap the women so that they are forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man. The families are often left with no clear knowledge of what happened to their wife, daughter, or sister.

However, the issue can become more complicated. Sometimes, Christian women will voluntarily leave home, convert to Islam, and marry a Muslim man. In these cases, it is common for the families to claim that she was forced to leave as the incident is viewed as a public shame. In these cases, the police are limited in their response.

The photo is an illustration