CAIRO, 27 May 2006 — An Egyptian family court gave its verdict on Thursday that young actor Ahmed Fishawi was the biological father of 18-month-old Leena, who was born to interior designer Hind Al-Hanawi, Al-Watan Arabic daily reported yesterday.
Hanawi was extremely happy with the verdict and said she would not allow anybody to take away her daughter from her family.
Hanawi was responding to a statement by Fishawi that he would demand the handover of the baby to his mother Somayya Al-Ulfi, saying Hanawi was “not qualified to bring up the child in the right manner.”
But Hanawi retorted that her family was well qualified for the job.
“I am an engineer and my parents are university professors and we can bring up our baby in the best manner,” she told reporters.
Hanawi said she would not demand Fishawi to pay for any expenditure. “I just wanted the world to know who is the father of my daughter in order to get her birth certificate,” she added.
Fishawi had refused to undergo a DNA test to prove if he is the father of Hanawi’s baby, but has admitted that he had an intimate relationship with the woman, which lasted for two weeks.
He knew that Hanawi was pregnant and had asked her to carry out abortion, but she refused.
Hanawi’s lawyer filed a lawsuit against Fishawi accusing him of adultery after he had confessed in an official police report. Fishawi had expressed his guilt over the nature of their relationship, and for behaving in a way that is against the teachings of Islam.
The Fishawi scandal drew international attention with the British and American press taking a keen interest in the case.
The Cairo court gave its verdict after four-hour-long deliberations.
Hanawi was present at the court with her father, child and many relatives as well as members of human rights organizations who sympathized with her.