“When I examined him, I saw he was weak and in bad condition,” Dr. Maher says. “But I started treating him and he started getting better. The priest suggested that the baby stay with my wife and I, and that we should try to adopt him and raise him.”
Four days later, Dr. Maher was issued a birth certificate for the baby. Him and his wife named the baby Bishoy and gave him their family name. “We loved Bishoy and we lived our best days him. He was happy and he brought joy to our hearts. We saw him as our own.” All was well in Dr. Maher’s household, but the happiness they enjoyed would soon be stripped from them.
In March of 2018, Dr. Maher and his wife were arrested. They were charged with forging an official document—Bishoy’s birth certificate—and faced 6 months in prison. Bishoy was taken and handed to the state. In swift action, Bishoy’s name was changed to Kareem, a Muslim name, and his official religion was changed from Christian to Muslim.
Dr. Maher and his wife spent 100 days in prison. “My wife and I both had terrible experiences,” he says. “We were treated very poorly and in a dangerous environment. We did not commit any crime, yet we were punished.”
The heartbroken family has done all they can to try and get Bishoy back, but the Egyptian government refuses to help. For years they’ve tried to have Bishoy returned, but all attempts have failed. They haven’t seen him since their arrest, and they don’t know where he is.
“We don’t know how to live without him. He used to call us ‘mama’ and ‘dada.’ We just want to be reunited with our son.”
In Psalm 147:3, we’re told, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Dr. Maher and his wife are crushed that Bishoy was taken from them. It’s a situation we can’t begin to understand. But let us come in prayer before our Lord and pray that He will heal this shattered family. Let us boldly pray that He will reunite Dr. Maher and his wife with baby Bishoy.
God, we know You are at work in this situation. We don’t know how, but we ask that You reunite this family with Bishoy. Let them be the parents You carved out for them to be. Work in the legal system in Egypt and let this family be restored. Let them not lose hope. Amen.
*Representative name and photo used to preserve security.
About the authors
Girgis and Tim Dustin write for Global Christian Relief where they share stories of discrimination and persecution with the Church around the world. Get the latest blogs and prayer requests at GlobalChristianRelief.org
