Dr. Farid Ismail, MP for the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in Sharqiya, stated that representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the FJP intervened to calm incidents of disorder which took place in front of the Virgin Mary Church, in Sharqiya.

According to Dr. Ismail, a young lady called Rania Khalil, who had converted to Islam a few months back and left to live with her father – who had also converted to Islam 2 years earlier – went missing since Saturday while shopping. Crowds gathered in front of the church after rumours claimed that the girl, whose mother is a Copt, was inside the church.

Speaking to Ikhwanweb, Dr. Ismail denounced attempts by certain parties to "paint this incident in sectarian colors and to incite strife”, adding that the incident passed peacefully. He asserted that such issues are not unusual”.

He stressed that the FJP and MB are determined to preserve national unity and the integrity of the social fabric in Egypt, and condemn any actions or activities that would ignite strife. He added that the FJP will not hesitate to defend all Egyptian people's rights.