Illegal Hajj Pilgrims Contributes to Large Death Toll; Countries Take Actions Against Tour Companies and Pilgrims

 According to CNN, Saudi Arabia says that 1301 people died while on the recently-completed Hajj where temperatures soared as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. 83% of those who died were on unauthorized trips that generally lacked air-conditioned busses and easy access to air-conditioned tents, food and water. According to BBC, nationals of Egypt, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Sudan, Kurdistan and the United States were among the dead. The largest death toll seems to have been among Egyptians. Egypt announced today that it will revoke the licenses of 16 tourism companies who were involved in making illegal trip arrangements. According to VisaGuide, earlier this month Saudi Arabia announced that it would impose fines on citizens, expatriates and visitors who are caught in the area of the Hajj without a Hajj permit. Anyone caught transporting visitors who do not have Hajj permits will also be subject to fines and up to six months in prison. BBC says that mismanagement by Saudi authorities also contributed to the death toll.

First Coptic Christian Picked As Head Of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court

 AP reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has appointed Boulos Fahmy, a Coptic Christian, as Chief Judge of Egypt's highest court, the Supreme Constitutional Court. This is the first time a Christian has headed the Court.  According to AP:

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi picked the 65-year-old Fahmy from among the court’s five oldest of 15 sitting judges, as is prescribed by law.

Egyptian Court Bans Pilgrimages To Rabbi's Grave

 Al-Monitor reports that on Sept. 26, Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court upheld a lower court ruling banning the annual celebration in Damatyuh village near the city of Damanhur in Beheira governorate of the birth of Rabbi Yaqoub bin Masoud, known as Abu Hasira. The paper reports:

The court, which is the highest administrative court for administrative appeals in Egypt, ordered removing the shrine in which ... Abu Hasira, is buried, from the list of Islamic and Coptic antiquities in Egypt. In addition, it rejected a request to transfer his remains to Israel, which was submitted by Tel Aviv through UNESCO in 2012.

The court based its refusal to transfer the rabbi's remains because Islam respects the divine religions and rejects the exhumation of graves, and because Palestine is an occupied land and legitimizing the Jewishness of the state must be avoided by keeping this shrine on Arab land.

The appeal was filed by the Egyptian government; the previous ruling thus became final and irrevocable.

Before 2011, hundreds of Jews from Morocco, France and Israel made an annual pilgrimage to the rabbi's grave.

Egypt Will Build Synagogues For Any Resurgent Jewish Community

Jerusalem Post and JTA report that Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told a U.S. delegation last week that if a Jewish community is re-established in Egypt, the government will build synagogues and communal institutions for it. Sisi also promised to clean up the ancient Bassatine  Jewish Cemetery in Cairo.  The U.S. delegation was comprised of members of the Anwar Sadat Congressional Gold Medal Commission, which had obtained passage of a law to posthumously grant the late Egyptian President Anway Sadat the Congressional Gold Medal.  The delegation invited Sisi to attend the award ceremony this fall.  Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates formally recognized its small Jewish community.

Egyptian TV Host Sentenced For Program Featuring Gay Sex Worker

New York Post reported yesterday that an Egyptian trial court has sentenced a television host Mohammed el-Gheiti to one year in prison at hard labor followed by one year of surveillance, and a fine equivalent to $167 US for promoting debauchery and homosexuality.  Gheiti was also charged with contempt of religion.  The conviction stems from the appearance on his show of journalist Mustafa Mekki who posed as a gay man on the gay dating app Grindr in order to learn more about the Egyptian gay community. Also on the show was an anonymous sex worker who Mekki met on the app who said he wanted to warn other young men not to repeat his mistake.

6th Circuit Refuses To Reopen Asylum Claim By Egyptian Coptic Christian

In Welson v. Sessions, (6th Cir, July 26, 2018), the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to reopen a petition for refugee status filed by an Egyptian Coptic Christian.  The immigration judge had held that petitioner was not
credible and had not demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution in Egypt. The 6th Circuit said in part:

In support of his motions to reopen, Welson chiefly relies on articles describing various recent acts of terrorism perpetrated by ISIL, including: the December 2016 bombing of a Coptic cathedral in Cairo; the April 2017 bombing of two Coptic churches, both in Northern Egypt, on Palm Sunday; and a May 2017 incident in Southern Egypt where gunmen fired on vehicles carrying Coptic Christians. However, as the BIA reasoned, these articles describe events which, while indisputably terrible and tragic, are nevertheless similar to those conditions considered by the IJ at Welson’s individual hearing. Moreover, none of the additional reports and articles disturbs a key portion of the IJ’s reasoning—namely, that Welson’s family continues to live in Sohag, Egypt, unharmed, and that the Egyptian government under the leadership of President elSisi has undertaken to improve conditions for Coptic Christians. These new articles accordingly do not show that if the case were reopened Welson would likely prevail on his asylum claim.

[Thanks to Tom Rutledge for the lead.] 

Valentine's Day Remains Controversial In Some Conservative Muslim and Hindu Areas

Again this year, Valentine's Day is countering opposition from conservative religious leaders in some nations.  Voice of America reports that Pakistan's  Electronic Media Regulatory Authority sent instructions to radio and television stations based on a ruling last year by the Islamabad High Court that Valentine's Day is un-Islamic, spreading immorality, nudity and indecency.  PEMRA told its licensees:

Respondents are directed to ensure that nothing about the celebrations of Valentine's Day and its promotion is spread on the Electronic and Print media," PEMRA's directive stated. "No event shall be held on an official level and at any public place. PEMRA is directed to ensure that all the TV channels shall stop the promotion of Valentine's Day forthwith."

Meanwhile, the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi has also continued its ban of the celebration of Valentine's Day. (Jakarta Post). And in the Indian state of  Karnataka, Shri Ram Sena pro-Hindu activists have been burning Valentines in effigy, claiming Valentine's Day as anti-Hindu. (MeriNews). Arab News reports however that Valentine's Day has become one of the most celebrated events in Egypt.

Egyptian Court Bans TV Show That Criticizes Traditional Sunni Doctrine

Yesterday Egypt's Administrative Court banned the broadcast of the TV show "With Islam."  As reported by Al-Ahram and Egypt Daily News, the show, hosted by Egyptian reformer Islam El-Beheiry, features video excerpts of talks by respected Salafi preachers followed by El-Beheiry's criticism of their statements.  The show appears on the privately-owned TV channel Al Qahera Wel Nas.  The suit was originally filed in 2015 by Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb who contended that El-Beheiry falsely criticized religious doctrines to make individuals question their beliefs. Yesterday;s court order bans showing of future as well as past episodes of With Islam, and also prohibits inviting El-Beheiry to appear on any other satellite TV channels.  In December 2015, El-Beheiry was sentenced to one year in prison for contempt of religion after he questioned the authenticity of certain Sunni religious texts. He was released one month early with a pardon from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and his show resumed in May.

Egyptian Muslim Cleric Accused of "Contempt of Religion"

In Egypt last Thursday, members of the Egyptian Parliament filed a lawsuit against Muslim cleric and former deputy minster in the Endowments Ministry, Salem Abdel Galil.  According to Egypt Daily News, the suit, and another one filed by different complainants, accuse Galil of contempt of religion and threatening national unity because of statements he made on May 3 during his television show "Muslims Ask."  In explaining a verse from the Qur'an, he said that Christians and Jews follow corrupt religions and are non-believers.  In a statement on his Facebook page, Galil apologized for "hurting Christians’ feelings," but said he would never apologize for his religion. Al-Mehwar TV has canceled Galil's contract, and Minister of Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa said that Galil would not be allowed to lead Friday prayers unless he retracted his comments.

Egyptian Prosecutors Say Insufficient Evidence In Case Of Attack On Christian Woman

According to AP, in Egypt prosecutors have dropped a case against several members of a Muslim mob allegedly involved last May in stripping a Christian woman of her clothes and parading her naked through the streets in a village in Minya province.  The mob was reacting to a rumor that the woman's son had an affair with a Muslim woman.  Prosecutors cited a lack of evidence, but another case growing out of the same violence, which also targeted Christian homes, continues in court.

Egypt Passes Church Construction Law

Egypt's Parliament yesterday approved a new law governing the building and renovation of Christian churches. 10% of Egypt's population is Coptic Christian.  Reuters reports that the law allows provincial governors (instead of the security services) to approve or deny church building and renovation permits. Coptic Church officials see then new law as progress, but Christian activists would have preferred a unified law governing both mosque and church construction. Restrictions in the new law are still more extensive than those which apply to mosque construction.   In the past, suspected Christian church building has led to sectarian riots.

Paper Reviews Recent Use of Egypt's Blasphemy Law

Ahram Online today carries an interesting article on the use of Egypt's blasphemy law in recent months. Prosecutors have just begun to investigate a complaint against the satirical performance art troupe Atfal El-Shawaree (Street Children) over a video that they posted online mimicking the hosts on the state-owned religious radio station Al-Quran Al-Karim (The Holy Quran). At least one member of Parliament is proposing repeal of Article 98(f) of the criminal code that prohibits promoting "contempt of any divine religion or its adherents."

Blasphemy Prosecutions In Egypt On The Rise

AP yesterday reported that since 2011, the number of blasphemy prosecutions in Egypt have risen dramatically. According to the report:

Two years ago, the military ousted the Muslim Brotherhood from power, and since then the government has been waging a harsh crackdown on Islamists.

Yet in the past three years, prosecutions on charges of insulting Islam have risen dramatically. From three such cases in 2011, there were 21 cases in the courts in 2015, around half targeting Christians.... Nine of the 2015 cases led to convictions and prison sentences, while the rest are still in the courts.

Part of the rise is connected to the spread of social media.... Many of the cases have originated in comments or videos posted on the Internet.... But also, prosecutors and judges have aggressively pursued the cases, aiming to show that the state is still "protecting Islam" even as it cracks down on Islamists.

Egypt's Justice Minister Fired Over Comment Seen As Blasphemous

Egypt's Justice Minister Ahmed El-Zend was dismissed from office yesterday by Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail after comments that were interpreted as blasphemous went viral. Ahram Online gives background:

Last week, in response to a TV host's question on whether he would jail journalists, El-Zend said, "Even if he was a prophet, peace and blessings be upon him."

The 70-year-old then briefly uttered Islamic words of repentance before adding that "the culprit, whatever his description is... I am not talking about jailing a journalist or jailing a teacher, I am saying jailing a defendant."

El-Zend subsequently asked for forgiveness, saying his comment was a slip of the tongue, but Al-Azhar (the center of Islamic learning in Egypt) issued a statement warning against even unintentional blasphemous comments.

Two Popes Impact Delicate International Decisions

Pope Francis yesterday spoke in Narobi, Kenya to a group of  United Nations officials (full text of speech) urging action at two upcoming international conferences. Focusing on COP21, the meeting beginning Nov. 30 in Paris on climate change, the Pope said in part:

In a few days an important meeting on climate change will be held in Paris, where the international community as such will once again confront these issues.  It would be sad, and I dare say even catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects....

I express my hope that COP21 will achieve a global and “transformational” agreement based on the principles of solidarity, justice, equality and participation; an agreement which targets three complex and interdependent goals: lessening the impact of climate change, fighting poverty and ensuring respect for human dignity.

The Pope also spoke about the upcoming 10th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization scheduled to meet in Narobi in a few days:

It is my hope that the deliberations of the forthcoming Nairobi Conference will not be a simple balancing of conflicting interests, but a genuine service to care of our common home and the integral development of persons, especially those in greatest need.  I would especially like to echo the concern of all those groups engaged in projects of development and health care – including those religious congregations which serve the poor and those most excluded – with regard to agreements on intellectual property and access to medicines and essential health care.  Regional free trade treaties dealing with the protection of intellectual property, particularly in the areas of pharmaceutics and biotechnology, should not only maintain intact the powers already granted to States by multilateral agreements, but should also be a means for ensuring a minimum of health care and access to basic treatment for all.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Arab sources differ on the political importance of a gesture by Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II who yesterday left with a delegation of bishops for Jerusalem to take part in the funeral of Archbishop Anba Abraham, the Archbishop of Jerusalem.  This is the first visit of a Coptic pope to Jerusalem since 1832.  In 1979, the previous Coptic Pope barred Copts from traveling to Jerusalem, insisting they will only enter together with Muslims. The Jerusalem Post speculates that Tawadros' trip will make it increasingly difficult to maintain the ban on other Copts making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Zvi Mazel, a former Israeli ambassador to Egypt said that Tawadros probably got approval from Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is maintaining close intelligence ties with Israel in the fight against ISIL in Sinai.

However, Gulf News quotes a Coptic Church spokesman who said that Tawadros' visit to Jerusalem, which the Church considers occupied territory, does not change the Church's position:

The Pope’s visit came as an exception. It is for offering condolences and nothing more.  Pope Tawadros II will not make any visits in the Holy Land, and he will return to Cairo immediately following the funeral prayers. Copts will only go to Jerusalem with their Muslim brethren.

Egypt Will Close Down Restaurants That Prohibit Women From Wearing Hijabs

According to Egyptian Streets yesterday, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Khaled Abbas Rami says he will close down any restaurants or tourism facilities that refuse service to women wearing hijabs (Muslim headscarves). Apparently a number of restaurants, bars and high-end resorts have barred veiled women.  Women have increasingly taken to social media to complain about the discrimination.

Egypt Holds 4 Coptic High Schoolers On Blasphemy Charges

Fox News reported yesterday on four 15 to 16 year old Coptic Christian boys being held by authorities in Egypt on blasphemy charges, apparently because of a 32-second video clip they made mocking an ISIS beheading. The video was made on their teacher's cell phone while the boys were on a school-related religious excursion. In early April, Muslim residents of the boys' village of Al-Nasriyah filed a complaint and their teacher was arrested. Negotiations between Christians and Muslims in the community led to the Copts banning the teacher from the community. Meanwhile marches and attacks on homes and businesses by local Muslims forced parents of the four boys to turn them over to authorities. (A fifth boy escaped the village.) Last week a judge refused to release the four boys so they could take their year-end exams, holding them for two more weeks while the investigation continues.

Egyptian Channel Cancels Program After Host's Criticism of Conservative Islam

Egypt's Daily News reported yesterday that the Al-Qahera Wal Nas satellite channel has cancelled the program hosted by commentator Islam El-Behiry after two lawsuits against it challenge El-Behiry's criticism of conservative Islamic schools of thought.  One suit filed by an independent lawyer calls for closing down the channel and removing episodes of the program from the Internet, accusing El-Behiry of "insulting the divine."  A second suit filed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar accuses El-Behiry of insulting Al-Azhar which Egypt's Constitution makes the main source of interpretation of Islamic law.  Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has called for a reinterpretation of Islamic doctrine (see prior posting). In cancelling El-Behiry's show, the channel said:

We should let ‘enlightened’ religious preachers handle the task of renewing religious discourse.

Trial of Egyptian Poet Over Facebook Posting Begins

Reuters reports that an initial hearing in the trial of poet Fatima Naoot was held yesterday in Egypt. She is charged with contempt of Islam, spreading sectarian strife and disturbing public peace because of a Facebook post criticizing the Muslim practice of slaughtering animals on the Feast of the Sacrifice-- a day celebrating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.  Naoot's post said:

Millions of innocent creatures will be driven to the most horrible massacre committed by humans for ten-and-a-half centuries.A massacre which is repeated every year because of the nightmare of a righteous man about his good son.

If convicted, the poet could receive up to three years in jail.

Egyptian Court Bans Jewish Pilgrimage Festival To Moroccan Rabbi's Grave

In Egypt on Monday, the Administrative Court of Alexandria banned an annual Jewish religious pilgrimage that has been held since 1979 to the grave of the Moroccan rabbi Yaakov Abu Hatzira. The grave, in the Nile Delta, was declared an Egyptian cultural monument by the government in 2001. AP and World Bulletin report on the court's action not only banning the annual festival that honors Abu Hatzira's birth, but also ordering that the shrine be removed from the list of Egyptian antiquities and barring the removal of Abu Hatzira's remains to Israel as Israel had requested through UNESCO.  The annual festival which has drawn hundreds of Jews each year from Israel, Morocco and France has been controversial. The court's action came in response to a complaint filed by local residents objecting to the mingling of men and women at the festival and the consumption of alcohol. They also contended that security for the festival was disruptive to them.