‘Blasphemy’ In Egypt: Education Minister Orders Arrest Of Academic

AFTER sociology professor Dr Mohamed Mahdaly allegedly told students that he ‘didn’t give a fuck’ about a certain verse in the Koran, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education – Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, above – took immediate action and ordered the arrest of the academic.

According to this report, Mahdaly was detained following the circulation on an online video that showed an argument between the professor and some students. At issue were Koranic teachings about incest and common law marriage. Mahdaly was reportedly arguing in favour of mothers marrying their sons. When challenged with a verse outlawing such practises he responded:

I don’t give a fuck about that verse.

Following the debate, the students went on to accuse the professor of “contempt for the Islamic religion” and the video was widely shared along with calls for him to stand down.

An “urgent investigation” into charges of “insulting the Koran” was then ordered by Ghaffar.

The professor said in his defence that the video was taken out of context and that the incident was staged.

Over recent years there has been a surge in blasphemy cases in Egyptian courts in what rights groups say is part of a wider culture of intolerance.

In 2015 the Cairo Misdemeanour Court sentenced Islam Al-Buhairi, presenter of “With Islam” to five years in prison for contempt of religion.

In 2018 a Coptic teacher in a state school was charged with contempt of religion and two years before that an Egyptian court convicted four Coptic teenagers of the same after they appeared in a video mocking Muslim prayers.

Egyptian civil rights lawyer Hamdi Al-Assyouti estimates that 90 per cent of blasphemy charges are filed against Christians.

Shot dead for ‘blasphemy’

Meanwhile it’s reported from Pakistan that Malik Imran Hanif, senior manager of the state-run National Bank of Pakistan, was killed by the bank’s security guard, Ahmed Nawaz, over an allegation of blasphemy.

According to senior police officer Tariq Wilayat, Nawaz claimed that he opened fire at Hanif after he committed blasphemy.

Hanif’s family said that Nawaz was fired a few months ago but he was subsequently reinstated. He nursed a grudge against Hanif over his sacking and both had a heated argument recently.

In a video posted on the social media, Nawaz can be heard saying he killed the bank manager because he had committed blasphemy.

Nawaz was seen being greeted by a crowd of supporters who also raised religious slogans and roamed in the city streets. Later, he surrendered himself to the police.