Thursday, February 2, 2012

Egyptian Comedian Adel Imam Sentenced for Offending Islam

American politicians and the American media cheered Egyptian rebels as they toppled the Mubarak regime. In the West, we assume that if you remove a dictator, a flowering of freedom and democracy will follow. Of course, those of us who know about Islam were pointing out that Muslim political parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood would never support genuine freedom and democracy. I suppose another "I told you so" would be redundant.

CAIRO (AP)—One of the Arab world's best known Egyptian comedians has been sentenced to three months in jail for offending Islam, a judge said Thursday, in the latest such case against a high-profile figure, underlining concerns about freedom of expression in Egypt.

The judge confirmed that Adel Imam, a veteran actor who first starred in a play in 1964, was convicted in absentia of insulting the religion.

The judge said Imam can appeal. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

Tarek el-Shinnawi, an entertainment reporter in Egypt, said that Imam was in Egypt recently filming a television series. Egypt's Actors' Syndicate said Imam's whereabouts are unknown. Imam could not be reached for comment.

The state-run Ahram Online English website reported Thursday he was found guilty for "defaming Islam" in a 2007 movie in which he plays a corrupt businessman who tries to buy a university diploma. The film, Morgan Ahmed Morgan, included a scene with bearded Muslim men wearing traditional Islamic robes. Other reports said the court objected to his use of Islamic symbols in the film and others he has appeared in.

Last month, Egyptian telecommunications and construction tycoon Naguib Sawiris, a founder of the liberal Free Egyptians political party, faced similar charges of defaming Islam after he posted pictures of Mickey and Minnie Mouse wearing Islamic clothing on Twitter.

The cases have added to concerns that Islamists who dominate the new Egyptian parliament might use their powers to try to stifle freedom of expression. (Read more.)

Wait a minute! Is the Associated Press telling us that Islamist parties may actually support Islamic principles? But I thought that Islamist parties only supported Western values. Now I'm confused.

1 comment:

Dk said...

I don't even see what is that offensive?

He doesn't insult Allah, Mohammed, Quran or the Companions.

I mean this is as retarded when a video game containing recitations of the Quran in the background was taken out by the game manufacture in England.

Nothing explicitly offensive is there.

They have the most bizarre rights to be offended by the most non-offensive materials.

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/01/memorial-day-muslims-have-special-right.html

Derek Adams
www.AnsweringAbraham.com