Thursday, September 27, 2012

Egypt Charges U.S. Embassy Protester Under Blasphemy Law

As previously reported, two weeks ago crowds demonstrated and attacked the U.S. embassy in Egypt to protest the video Innocence of Muslims. Now, according to AP, on Tuesday Egyptian prosecutors referred to trial on charges of insulting "heavenly" religions Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah who was filmed tearing up an English copy of the Bible during the embassy protest. Abdullah is well-known for having created a new TV channel operated mainly women veiled from head to toe with only their eyes showing.  Egypt's blasphemy law covering heavenly religions is generally seen as applying to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, but in the past has been used mostly by critics of Islam.  Abdullah claims he has not violated the blasphemy law because he targeted the book of a specific group of Christians who have offended Islam.  Apparently Abdullah's son and a journalist who interviewed him were also charged under the blasphemy law.