CAIRO: The People s Assembly passed a law banning demonstrations in places of worship in an emergency session on Tuesday. The assembly announced that the "law for the preservation of sanctity of the holy places will be implemented nationwide. However, according to local press, the decision was pushed through by a National Democratic Party majority; all other MPs, especially those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, strongly opposed the law. We do not object to the law on the basis of respecting the sanctity of holy spaces, Hussain Mohamed Ibrahim, deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood's parliamentary bloc, told Daily News Egypt. But we object because it is merely another round in a sequence of steps to tighten freedom of expression in Egypt. When the Minister of Religious Endowments, Mahmoud Hamdy Zaqzouq, discussed the law, he falsely described scenes of violence and chaos inside the mosque. We had proposed an amendment to the law, which would allow peaceful and organized demonstrations to take place, however, this was rejected. It is believed that the law will specifically target Al-Azhar mosque, which in recent years has seen its Friday prayers become a hotbed for public protestation. "There are certain circumstances where public protestation is called for, and should be permitted inside places of worship, Mustafa Awad Allah, Brotherhood MP for Fayoum, told Daily News Egypt. "Demonstrations against defamation of the prophet, displays of contempt for religion and affairs of national security are examples. "I am not against the idea of banning demonstrations for the purpose of preserving the sanctity of places of worship. However, there is nowhere else to demonstrate. This law should have been passed within a framework of political rights, which would permit certain places, like London s Hyde Park, specifically for public protests. The law will be implemented under the pre-existing demonstration law, which forbids gatherings of more than five people in a public space. Those who violate the new laws will be subject to fines of up to LE 5,000 and no less than six months in prison.
