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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Shudders of rage
By Jailan HalawiState Security Prosecutor Hisham Saraya has referred Salaheddin Mohsen, a 52-year-old Egyptian writer, to trial before a State Security Court on charges of attacking Islam, the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet Mohamed. Hearings are set to start on 17 June.
Mohsen is facing charges of promoting a deviant ideology with the aim of deriding Islam. In more than a dozen books, sold domestically on a limited scale, the author expounds his views on Islam, describing it as the main reason for the "backwardness" of many Islamic countries.
In the course of his interrogation, Mohsen said he did not believe in God or religion, and that he dedicated his writings to promoting his beliefs. He was arrested on the basis of a report by state security investigators on a book entitled Shudders of Enlightenment, charging that the book propagates ideas that violate Shari'a (Islamic law) and holds Islam in contempt. When his house was searched, police seized 100 copies of four books entitled Chatting With Heaven, Abdel-Ati, A Muslim's Memoirs and Shudders of Enlightenment.
According to judicial sources who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly on condition of anonymity, the state tries those who propagate deviant or extremist thought because the country has the right to protect its religious beliefs. "We are not against freedom of expression, but we strongly fight the spread of deviant beliefs in our society," a source said.
In his book, Mohsen argued that civilised nations achieved success by means of scientific research and not through religion.
Meanwhile, the state security prosecutor charged two Culture Ministry officials for their role in publishing an allegedly blasphemous novel that triggered two days of student riots at Al-Azhar University last week.
Ibrahim Aslan, editor of the series which published the novel, and Hamdi Abu Golail, its managing editor, were charged with disparaging religion, as well as editing and publishing a work offensive to public morals.
The book in question is the 1983 novel A Banquet for Seaweed by Syrian writer Haydar Haydar, which the Ministry of Culture has re-published as part of a series of Arabic literary classics.
The novel's reprinting was met by a fierce campaign launched by the bi-weekly Islamist-oriented Al-Shaab newspaper, which said the novel called God a "failed artist" and depicted Prophet Mohamed as "a womanizer."
Incited by the newspaper articles, thousands of angry students from Al-Azhar University demonstrated outside campus and demanded the resignation of Culture Minster Farouk Hosni. Protesters called for Haydar's death and criticised the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, for keeping silent regarding the whole affair.
Nearly 100 students were briefly arrested and later released.
Many intellectuals and political analysts believe that Al-Shaab's campaign was politically motivated. Accusing fingers were pointed at the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, a traditional ally of the Labour Party which publishes Al-Shaab. The timing of the newspaper's campaign, ahead of the November parliamentary elections, was also considered to be significant.
Seif El-Islam Hassan El-Banna, a leading brotherhood figure denied the claims, asserting that the Muslim Brothers would not use Islam to achieve political gains.
Meanwhile, an exiled leader of Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya, Egypt's largest militant group, has urged Egyptians to follow the example of religious students who rioted over Haydar's novel. "We call on the youth of our Muslim Egyptians, in its universities, cities, villages and factories, to follow the example of their brothers in Al-Azhar University and break the chains they [the government] want for them," Refa'i Ahmed Taha said in a statement.
Also see Focus
