Opinion ID: 3031580
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Petitioners’ Account

Text: Ibrahim is a Coptic Christian and native of Egypt. Residing in Alexandria, Ibrahim performed social work in a school for the handicapped and provided charity services to poor Christian villagers through her church. Ibrahim claims that on May 15, 2001, she was abducted by four men with knives and sticks. The men placed her in a car blindfolded and drove her to a cave where she was confronted by the group’s ringleader. The ringleader threatened to kill her if she would not quit her work on behalf of her church and convert to Islam. He said he would let her go and give her one chance to comply. After this encounter, the men drove Ibrahim back to Alexandria and let her out of the car. Ibrahim then went to file a police report, but the police refused to fill out the report. About two weeks later, on June 2, 2001, Ibrahim married petitioner Tawdros, who had recently returned from a business trip. The couple had a honeymoon, and, within a -2- few weeks, Ibrahim discovered she was pregnant. On June 30, 2001, Ibrahim was on her way to church with her father. Six men stopped them and demanded they get into a van—Ibrahim and her father refused. The men assaulted them, striking Ibrahim in the stomach and back, causing her to fall unconscious. Ibrahim was taken to the hospital, where, when she awoke, her husband told her she needed to have an abortion. After having this surgery, Ibrahim went away with her husband to a monastery for a three-and- a-half month recovery. Upon returning to Alexandria, petitioners fled to America.