Today, Tuesday, an Egyptian court dismissed a case brought against telecoms tycoon and liberal politician Naguib Sawiris. Judge Ehab Yousry, dismissed the case against Sawiris on the grounds that it had been filed by individuals who “lack legal standing.” Charges had been brought against Sawris by a group of lawyers who accused him of insulting Islam , a serious crime in Egypt. Islam is by far, the predominate religion in Egypt. Sawiris sparked local outcries last summer when he tweeted a cartoon depicting Mickey Mouse wearing a long beard and Minnie Mouse in a black face veil—and he did so on her personal account. The result saw massive numbers of Mobinil's staff and customers leave the company, accusing Sawiris of insulting Islam. Sawiris is also a co-founder of the Free Egyptians (Al-Masryeen Al-Ahrar), a liberal secular party. Mobinil reportedly lost some 300,000 customers during what was known locally as the “Mickey row.” However, Sawiris said the impact had eased by October. The official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported an additional trial for Sawiris, on the same charge of insulting religion, was expected to see a verdict on 3 March. The plaintiff in that case is MP Mamdouh Ismail, a hardline Islamist lawyer with the ultra-conservative Salafist Nour party. Earlier this month, the Egypt's most famous comedic actor, Adel Imam, received a three-month jail sentence for insulting Islam, based on characters he had portrayed in film and on the stage. At press time, none of the producers, writers or directors of the same films and plays have been charged with similar crimes. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/Bl6XH Tags: featured, Freedom of Religion, Naguib Sawiris Section: Egypt, Featured Articles, Features, Latest News
