Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution on the member for Menzies’ motion before the House. I have a great interest in the issue of religious freedom: the ability of people to choose their own religion and then be able to practise that religion without fear of persecution. Unfortunately, the attack on Christianity in certain places around the world seems to be increasing. I have spoken previously in the House about the issue of apostasy—those who convert from Islam to Christianity—about how often they are persecuted, sometimes threatened with murder and sometimes killed.

I would like to raise an issue before I move on to the specifics of the situation facing the Coptic church in Egypt and that is the matter of Mohammed Hegazy. In 2003 he converted from Islam to Christianity. He then sought to be recognised legally as a Christian—the first person in Egypt to do this. Under Egyptian law, sharia law, once someone is within the faith of Islam they have no choice. They are not allowed to convert. When Mohammed converted, I understand that a fatwa was issued against him. His father also threatened to kill him. This was all because of a personal decision to convert to Christianity. It was not just him; his wife also converted. I believe they now have a daughter three years old and it is said that, unless she elects to convert to Islam at the age of 10, she will also be killed or under threat of death. So I think there is a major problem in Egypt. There are major issues with regard to religious freedom and no more so than in the persecution that has occurred, as has previously been said by other speakers, since the fifties and particularly in the seventies. The number of incidents is increasing, even in the last year.

Certainly it is a major problem in that country. The people there are suffering. Although we might say that it has been somewhat good for Australia, because two-thirds of people with Egyptian ancestry who live in Australia are Coptics, we have been the beneficiary of the persecution. But it is not right that someone feels they have to leave their homeland for the safety of their families or that they should be forced to leave rather than face economic deprivation as a result of the archaic arrangements regarding the Coptic Christian faith as imposed by the state in Egypt. It has been said that the police and the security forces seem to be a bit reticent to act when required. When people and churches are being attacked, they do seem a little reticent to arrive on time to actually achieve something. Fundamentally, substantial change is needed within Egypt. It is hard to know exactly what to do, because it would appear that the government, bound by sharia law, is working according to the principles of that law. The country is being held back as a result; people are being held back. People are being persecuted—all for the sake of religious oppression. It is a shame and it is outrageous. We as a parliament should make a very clear point to Egypt, and the government should make a very clear point to Egypt, that this is not the way a modern country acts and it should change now.

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