Egypt, Jordan launch high-capacity Coral Bridge submarine cable    Egyptian pound shows stability vs. USD in early trade    Egypt's PM heads to Japan for TICAD 9 Africa development summit    National Council for Childhood reviews plan to combat child labour    Egypt's Supreme Organ Transplant Committee strengthens oversight, standards    African agribusiness market expected to reach $1tr by 2030    Price cuts underway across Egypt, says trade federation report    Zelenskyy seeks US security guarantees as Trump says he can 'end war now'    Israelis protest for hostage deal amid growing pressure on Netanyahu    Serbia's Vucic vows 'tough measures' against protesters after unrest    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt delivers over 30 million health services through public hospitals in H1 2025    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



New article toughens penalties against prejudice in Egypt
Published in The Egyptian Gazette on 16 - 10 - 2011

CAIRO - The ruling military council introduced to the Penal Code Egypt's first explicit anti-discrimination article, a long-awaited measure that seeks to preempt all forms of discrimination.
The new article imposes heavy penalties, amounting to LE100,000 of fines (US$16,778) and a prison sentence of up to three months, to civil servants who carry out actions that discriminate against citizens on grounds of religion, gender, or origin in ways that infringe upon social justice, equal opportunity, and threaten social peace.
Ordinary citizens who commit the same crimes will be fined up to LE50,000 (US$5,033) or be sentenced to up to three months in jail, the new article stipulates.
The introduction of the article comes in response to public calls for tougher legal measures against all forms of discrimination. Some Muslim and Christian activists, however, expressed reservations against the new article, saying curbing sectarian tension will take more than just one article in Egypt's Penal Code.
"This is just a faint attempt to put an end to sectarian tensions and the problems the Christians of the nation suffer from," Naguib Gibrael, a leading Christian activist told The Egyptian Gazette in an interview.
"But I want to tell the members of the council that they need to work harder to create a peaceful society here," he added.
Egypt's Christians have always complained against their inability to build new churches or even reconstruct their old ones. The government has, meanwhile, drafted a law to regulate the construction of Muslim and Christian prayer houses. The new law, currently being reviewed by the Christian Orthodox Church and Al-Azhar for remarks, will facilitate the construction of churches.
Some people, however, say that while laws are good, shared cultural grounds are of equal importance.
One of these people is Atef Al-Hadidi, a scholar from Al-Azhar University who always boasts of being breast-fed by a Christian neighbour for a long time when he was a little child.
"We need to change any misconceptions in inter-religious relations,” Al-Hadidi told this newspaper. “This is not a matter of law. It is rather a matter of culture," he added.


Clic here to read the story from its source.