ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

179 parental rights as it is considered as an attack on the security of the state. Marriages - 2 Muslim spouses: cases of the man or woman who converts to Chri- stianity: What happens? In cases of inter-religious marriage, the law guarantees a predominant position to the Muslim spouse. The children, therefo- re, are practically Muslim. Inheritance A Christian cannot inherit from a Muslim. A Christian wife cannot inherit from her deceased relative. There are also professions inaccessible to Non-Muslim citizens: 1. Teach Arabic language and literature, 2. Graduate in gynaecology, 3. Access to public offices, (in Egypt, out of 300 central directorates of public ad- ministration and 400 directors-general of public companies, only 15 are Chri- stian). Moreover: 4. Prohibition of freedom of interpreta- tion of Sharia (ongoing case of Hesba in Egypt) 5. Testimony on trial against a Muslim. The concept of tolerance in early Islam was very similar to the Christian one of the same period. As Islamic law has not undergone any kind of evolution; even the concept of religious tolerance within the Muslim order has remained unchanged for centuries. The relationship between Islam and Chri- stianity in the Middle East indicates some critical issues related to the issue of cul- tural and religious minorities, of great importance also for understanding and managing the presence of Muslims in Eu- ropean countries.