Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Egypt Questioning Reporter On Blasphemy Charges

In Egypt, Saudi journalist Nadine al-Bdair and the editor-in-chief of Cairo's Al Masry Al Youm newspaper, Magdy al-Galad, will be summoned by authorities for questioning today. Maktoob News and Gulf News report that General Public Prosecutor Abdul Majeed Mahmoud ordered the prosecutor of south Cairo to investigate blasphemy charges after the newspaper published an article by al-Bdair arguing that if Muslim men are allowed four wives, then an edict should be issued permitting women to have four husbands. A member of Egypt's Parliament has already filed suit over the article, and some clerics say it is provocative and anti-Islamic.