After investigations with two females’ Muslim converts during early hours of Friday, the prosecution asked the security forces to provide the girls with a safe place until an Islamic Azhar scholar can test whether the story of their conversion is true.

The two girls, Christina and Nancy, who are both 14 years old, ran away from their homes in Minya months ago; their parents have been searching for them ever since. A policeman saw the girls walking in the street wearing the face veil and with the cross tattooed on their hands. Accordingly, the police officer stopped the girls and investigated the issue.

During the past weeks, the two girls, who are cousins, have uploaded videos on YouTube announcing their conversion to Islam and that they were not kidnapped by anyone. This video came in response to the father of one of them reporting their disappearance.

“My cousin and I have left our families’ houses to announce our conversion to Islam; we are alone and we were not kidnapped,” said Christina in a YouTube video. The videos were circulated through both social media and news sources.

The families of the girls have made reports to both the military council and the head of Minya security forces and asked to get their daughters back.

This is not the first story of Muslim converts that has been a source of public debate and concern. Camilia Shehata, who disappeared from her house in July 2010, was then claimed to have converted to Islam and was held in church after conversion to prevent her from practicing her new religion. Salafi groups organised several protests asking the Church to release Shehata. Meanwhile, Shehata’s lawyers assured that she has not converted to Islam and that she has returned to her home.