Egyptian Columnist Fatima Naoot Sentenced to 3 yrs for Insulting Religion

January 27th, 2016

Awake Goy

TCP : Columnist Fatima Naoot was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 20,000 EGP ($2,550,) for “insulting religion” after she criticized Islamic slaughtering of animals in Eid al-Adha.

Columnist Fatima Naoot

The sentence, issued by al-Khalifa Misdemeanor Court, can be appealed.

In a 2014 Facebook post, Naoot described the ritual as “the biggest massacre;” she told The Cairo Post “it is strange to be tried over Facebook posts.”

She said the metaphor was not meant to mock the Islamic rite, and that discussing the issue is not a violation of Islamic Law.

Meanwhile, a misdemeanor court in Cairo will consider an appeal by jailed TV anchorperson Islam Beheiry over the same charge against his one-year prison sentence, according to Youm7.

Article 98F of the Egyptian Penal Code stipulates that using religion in talking, writing or by any method to “instigate sedition and division or disdain and contempt for any of the Abrahamic religions or sects belonging thereto” will be sentenced to not less than six months and up to five years in prison.

The Cairo Post