The practiceal impact of the decree has been to facilitate significantly church repairs. It is clear that President Mubarak is exerting his best effort to help Christians in building and repairing their churches. It is truly outstanding that, as the report highlights, he has put Islamic and Christian holy places on equal footing. According to a 1995 law, application of family law, including marriage, divorce, alimony, child custody, inheritance, and burial, is based on an individual's religion. Muslim families are subject to the personal status law, which draws on Shari'a.
Christian families are subject to canon law, and Jewish families are subject to Jewish law.
In cases of family law disputes involving a marriage between a Christian woman and a Muslim man, the courts applies the personal status law. The children of such marriages must be raised as Muslims. The Coptic Orthodox church excommunicates Christian women who marry Muslim men. The Egyptian constitution also requires schools to offer religious instruction, the study admits. Public and private schools provide religious instruction according to the faith of the student.