Emad Samir is an Egyptologist and Biblical scholar. He is the “Scholar in Residence” at the Good
Shepherd Presbyterian Church, bringing biblical Egypt to life in a series of lectures, seminars and
retreats. He grew up in Egypt and worked in the tourism industry there for 20 years presenting
Egyptian history and its civilization, enlightening travelers about the significant and
longstanding connection between ancient Egypt and its Pharaohs with Scripture. Contact:
emadsamir2001@hotmail.com | (619) 395-3199
Women in the Middle East
According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a report published in 2014 Egypt is ranked
worst place in the Middle East to be a woman. “The study rated countries based on data collected
about violence against women, reproductive rights, and assessed the status of women in the
family unit, in society, within the economy and the quality of their political representation.”
Sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, forced and early marriages were included. Iraq and
Saudi Arabia were ranked second and third worst places to be a woman in the Middle East.
Christian Women in Egypt
A new report by the non-profit group International Christian Concern asserts that the risk of
Egypt’s Christian women being attacked and forced to convert to Islam is higher than it was in
early 2011. The ICC and other watchdog groups that monitor the region have determined that
roughly 500 reported cases of women being attacked by Muslim men since 2011 has occurred.