27-year-old Egyptian Sayd Abdelrazek, who was threatened with death in his homeland for renunciation of Islam, received a certificate of temporary asylum in Russia. The man converted to Christianity, but his relatives were against the new religion. The wife took the child and left the house, the mother turned to the local authorities to convince her son to return to the previous religion, and other relatives began to threaten the man with reprisal. Sayd had to hide with friends from the Christian community in Alexandria.
As told RT, a man in social networks met with a citizen of Russia Olga Falco. At first they just talked about Eastern Christianity and Egyptian Orthodoxy, and later sympathy arose and the man suggested Olga to marry him. The woman took a loan and helped the Egyptian move to Russian Ulyanovsk in the summer of 2019. However, the registry office refused to register the union, since the Egyptian wife Sayda is in no hurry to file a divorce. Nevertheless, in one of the Orthodox churches the couple managed to get married. Now they are expecting a baby. In addition, Falco has an 11-year-old son from his first marriage.
For six months, the woman had to support the whole family, because Abdelrazek did not manage to officially get a job.
“We are extremely pleased that after six months of wandering around the courts, we were able to help us. Side happily flies and jumps, and shows everyone a passport. It helped us a lot. There is still a lot to do, but at least the main stone fell from our shoulders, ”Olga rejoices.
According to Falco, now Side can officially get a job and support his family. In addition, the man will seek a divorce in his homeland in order to conclude a legal marriage with Olga.
“Since the Sharia law is in force in Egypt, the Side must already be divorced. A Muslim woman cannot have a husband as a Christian. However, they are now in every possible way trying to lure him into Egypt, and force him to abandon Orthodoxy. In conversations via video, they manipulate the child, they say that he misses his father. Or they just ask me to convert to Islam with my children and my whole family to go to Egypt, ”says Falco.
According to her, Side will ask for all the documents necessary for a divorce through the embassy, because he cannot return to his homeland as a Christian, since he is in danger there.
Olga herself plans to devote time to her health, both for her and her child. As she admitted to RT, because of problems with obtaining her refugee status from her husband, she had to "run away" from the hospital ahead of schedule, and now the woman had problems with well-being. Now doctors advise to be at home alone and rest more.
“I work as a teacher of theatrical art and graduate this year from a university in a different specialty. There should be exams in June, so we still have to take up studies. After the birth of a child in late April or early May, it will be no longer before this, ”says Falco.
Escape to Russia
As RT previously told, the Egyptian Side Abdelrazek first became interested in Christianity two years ago. At home, he was the only breadwinner in the family and owned a store that he inherited from his father. On his street lived a 60-year-old man who read scripture in his shop.
Side began to go to a neighbor and ask questions about Christianity, and later he decided to study Christian literature himself. After reading the Gospel, Abdelrazek decided to renounce Islam. However, relatives did not accept his choice. The wife took the child and left home, and the mother asked the local authorities to convince her son to return to the previous religion.
Relatives of his wife, some of whom, according to Sayd, are members of radical organizations, began to threaten him with reprisal. The man had to hide with Christian friends in Alexandria.
According to Falco, Cydus received letters with threats of violence.
“Everyone wants to kill you. This will be your end. Your blood will be wasted, ”the relatives wrote.
The woman certified the correspondence with a notary and attached to the application for refugee status, however, the migration department initially believed that Abdelrazek did not need temporary asylum in Russia. Olga was afraid that Saida could be deported from the country at any moment and was worried that his relatives would be able to realize their threats.