Egypt: Christian Convicted of Blasphemy
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News)– Yet another Christian has been convicted of blasphemy for “ridiculing or insulting a heavenly religion” in violation of the Egyptian Penal Code’s Article 98(f).
According to International Christian Concern, Mounir Beshay had posted a video clip from a satellite network about the “suckling of adults” hadith in November. Months later, outraged Muslim villagers demonstrated in front of Beshay’s home and set his motorcycle on fire.
Beshay was arrested at his workplace and his case was assigned to the Economic Misdemeanors Court in Dakahlia, Egypt, where he sentenced to prison for one year.
Despite the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood’s President Morsi and the subsequent leadership of the military’s President Sisi, the controversy over blasphemy charges in Egypt continues unabated.
“While Egypt has an important role to play in countering violent extremism in the region, it must address the issues of extremism it has domestically,” said Todd Daniels, ICC regional manager for the Middle East. “These issues continue to emerge both in society – in violent mobs protesting outside of homes, burning property – and in a judicial system that convicts on charges that only stoke the fire of radical extremists.
“The fact that a Christian may be imprisoned for sharing a video of Islamic scholars discussing an issue within Islam highlights just how little space there is for discussion and how important it is that the Sisi government promotes religious freedoms that will allow for debate to happen to confront these violent tendencies.”