In recent years, Egypt has witnessed a number of incidents and issues that have crossed all moral boundaries. The decline in the ethical standards and behavior of some members of society, particularly radical extremists, has played a central role in rendering citizenship nearly unconscious. This situation has been exacerbated by the relationship between these extremists and certain state institution leaders who share their ideologies and overlook their crimes. These individuals have often had the final say in various matters, especially concerning the construction and restoration of churches, as well as the forced displacement of Copts, particularly in rural areas of Upper Egypt. One notable case is that of the child Shenouda, whose disappearance was largely facilitated by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which ignored child protection laws by not returning him to his family. Shenouda was eventually reunited with his adoptive Christian family three years later, after his case gained public attention and high-level intervention.

Undoubtedly, the failure of the Ministry of Social Solidarity to fulfill its obligations regarding Shenouda and adhere to child protection laws has given extremists the green light to prey on vulnerable children, with the aim of forcibly converting them to Islam. There have even been reports of children with mental disabilities being hidden away. A notable example is the case of Sylvana Atef, a girl with a mental disability who has been missing for four months. The press and media have largely ignored her case to prevent it from becoming a public issue. Sylvana has been missing from her family for weeks, having initially been hidden by a Muslim family for several months. During this time, she was subjected to exploitation, including being filmed in videos that insulted her Christian family and led her to declare her conversion to Islam under the influence of the woman in whose house she was hidden.

The situation has been further complicated by cases of abduction and disappearance of Coptic children under age eighteen, driven by motives of forced conversion to Islam, as well as harassment of girls and women who do not wear hijabs. There has been a concerning rise in restrictions on the freedoms of women and girls, along with contempt for Christianity and attacks on Christians and their properties without any serious repercussions. These issues have been fueled by various fatwas and statements from certain clerics, including Sheikh Mabrouk Attia, the former dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University. Following the tragic murder of student Naira Ashraf a few years ago, he suggested that women should dress conservatively to protect themselves. Additionally, lawyer Nabih El-Wahsh incited sexual harassment and assault against any girl wearing ripped jeans, claiming that it was a national duty to do so.

These matters, involving Egyptian citizens at the hands of extremists and strict Salafi thinkers, have left the concept of citizenship clinically dead. The state, by failing to take action and enforce the law against offenders and extremists, has contributed to this decline. Now, the nation is left with a dying citizenship, lingering in a state of emergency within the intensive care units of state institutions, desperately waiting for someone from the senior political leadership to show compassion and lift the burdens of oppression that weigh heavily upon it.

The pressing question remains unanswered for the Copts: Will any senior political or religious leader intervene to release Sylvana from the care home and return her to her devastated family, in accordance with laws pertaining to children and individuals with disabilities? Will those who initially concealed her be held accountable for their actions? Or will the current situation persist, consuming precious time while the child remains trapped within governmental institutions implicated in her disappearance, waiting until she reaches eighteen, at which point paperwork for her conversion to Islam can be completed and handed to those who hid her? This would effectively mark the official death of citizenship and a farewell to its dignity, as we mourn its loss every morning and evening.

Unless there is personal intervention from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the last moment, with an eye of compassion and humanity towards this grieving family, there may be no hope for Sylvana’s return. The government has failed them in their quest to recover their daughter who was forcibly taken from them. There is a pressing need to hold accountable everyone involved in her concealment over the past four months and those who exploited her. This is a critical moment for the state of citizenship to avoid further humanitarian disgrace on the world stage, which has been caused by certain state institutions, and to counter accusations against Egypt of violating and disrespecting the laws and treaties established by the United Nations regarding human rights, child rights, and the rights of individuals with disabilities.