CAIRO: Egypt is set to make amendments to the nation's anti-discrimination laws, according to Egyptian Prime Minster Essam Sharaf, and a post on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Cabinet. The decision comes as a response to rising sectarian tensions in Egypt, fanned by the recent attack the Egyptian military propagated on Coptic Christian protesters last Sunday. The amended law mandates a three-month jail sentence and/or a fine of LE 50,000 to LE 100,000 for anyone charged with discriminating against individuals or groups based on gender, origin, language, religion, creed, or compromises the principles of equality or opportunity. The proposed law will come as an amendment to the Egyptian Penal Code. It has been under discussion for the last few months. Coptic Christians hold grievances over decades of societal and legal discrimination in Egypt. These fears have worsened since the overthrow of the Mubarak regime, amid fears that Egypt will give rise to an exclusionary Islamist government. On Monday, Egypt executed Mohamed Ahmed Hussein, who was sentenced to death for gunning down six Coptic Christians and one Muslim in January of 2010 outside of a Coptic Church in Egypt's Qena governate. It was one of the most notorious case of sectarian violence in recent years. The Coptic population accounts for 10 percent of Egypt's population of about 80 million. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently added Egypt to a list of countries deemed worst for religious freedom violations BM
