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From Galway to Gaza; Their mission to bring aid to victims of religious hatred turned an Irish mother and daughter into global heroines. But as news of their captivity spread around the world, few knew of the harmonious co-existence of Christian and Muslim beliefs within their own family Report: PATRICE HARRINGTON Photographs: RAY RYAN.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Report: PATRICE HARRINGTON

The story flashed around the world: An Irish mother and daughter trapped in Gaza after sneaking across the Egyptian border with money raised in their native Galway for embattled Palestinian families.

Their distinctive names - Treasa Ni Cheannabhain and Naisrin Elsafty - added another dash of intrigue to the extraordinary story. Quite aside from their amazing adventures with border guards - which we will come to later - more surprises awaited when YOU caught up with the whole family in Barna and discovered that Treasa, 57, a retired home economics teacher and sean nos singer, is a committed Catholic, while her Egyptian GP husband, Dr Saber Elsafty, is a devout Muslim.

Eldest daughter Roisin, a 32-year-old scientist and sean nos singer herself, is Catholic. But Treasa and Saber's two younger daughters, Naisrin, 20, and Zahrah, 19, both studying medicine in Dublin's Royal College of Surgeons, are Muslim. Naisrin's twin brother Hassam is also Muslim.

It is a fascinating family story of mixed race and religion thriving in peaceful co-existence and mutual tolerance. To live side by side as Muslim and Christian holds no conflict for this family - indeed, theirs is a story that could well have served as an inspiration to those who held them captive back in February of last year. 'My children are very open as regards other faiths and always sat in class in national school for religion, they didn't go into a separate room,' says Treasa, of her youngest three.

'I had taught them my prayers as well as Saber teaching them his prayers. They know the Our Father and the Hail Mary and their Guardian Angel prayer. I don't see anything wrong with that and I don't see anything wrong with them being open to all religions. My attitude...