Egypt court sentences 8 to death over prophet film

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-court-sentences-8-death-over-prophet-film-142630945.html

By By SARAH EL DEEB | Associated Press – Wed, Nov 28, 2012

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court convicted in absentia Wednesday seven Egyptian Coptic Christians and a Florida-based American pastor, sentencing them to death on charges linked to an anti-Islam film that had sparked riots in parts of the Muslim world.

The case was seen as largely symbolic because the defendants, most of whom live in the United States, are all outside Egypt and are thus unlikely to ever face the sentence. The charges were brought in September during a wave of public outrage in Egypt over the amateur film, which was produced by an Egyptian-American Copt.

The low-budget "Innocence of Muslims," parts of which were made available online, portrays the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, womanizer and buffoon.

Egypt's official news agency said the court found the defendants guilty of harming national unity, insulting and publicly attacking Islam and spreading false information — charges that carry the death sentence.

Maximum sentences are common in cases tried in absentia in Egypt. Capital punishment decisions are reviewed by the country's chief religious authority, who must approve or reject the sentence. A final verdict is scheduled on Jan. 29.

The man behind the film, Mark Basseley Youssef, was among those convicted. He was sentenced in a California court earlier this month to one year in federal prison for probation violations in an unrelated matter. Youssef, 55, admitted that he had used several false names in violation of his probation order and obtained a driver's license under a false name. He was on probation for a bank fraud case.

Multiple calls to Youssef's attorney in Southern California, Steve Seiden, were not returned Wednesday.

Florida-based Terry Jones, another of those sentenced, is the pastor of Dove World Outreach, a church of less than 50 members in Gainesville, Fla., not far from the University of Florida. He has said he was contacted by the filmmaker to promote the film, as well as Morris Sadek, a conservative Coptic Christian in the U.S. who posted the video clips on his website.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Jones said the ruling "shows the true face of Islam" — one that he views as intolerant of dissent and opposed to basic freedoms of speech and religion.

"We can speak out here in America," Jones said. "That freedom means that we criticize government leadership, religion even at times. Islam is not a religion that tolerates any type of criticism."

In a statement sent to The Associated Press Wednesday, Sadek, who fled Egypt 10 years ago and is now a Coptic activist living in Chantilly, Virginia., denied any role in the creation, production or financing of the film.

He said the verdict "shows the world that the Muslim Brotherhood regime wants to shut up all the Coptic activists, so no one can demand Copts' rights in Egypt."

Coptic Christians make up most of Egypt's Christian minority, around 10 percent of the country's 83 million. They complain of state discrimination. Violent clashes break out occasionally over land disputes, worshipping rights and love affairs between Muslims and Christians.

The connection to the film of the other five sentenced by the court was not immediately clear. They include two who work with Sadek at a radical Coptic group in the U.S. that has called for an independent Coptic state, a priest who hosts TV programs from the U.S. and a lawyer living in Canada who has previously sued the Egyptian state over riots in 2000 that left 21 Christians dead.

In a phone interview, one of the men sentenced who works with Sadek, Fikry Zaklama, said he had nothing to do with the film and hadn't even seen it.

"When I went to look at it (on the Internet), they told me it had been taken down," said Zaklama, 65, a Coptic activist and retired physician who practiced in Jersey City, N.J. "I'm not interested. I'm not a clergyman. I'm a political guy."

Nader Fawzy, a 53-year old jewelry store manager and president of an international Coptic rights organization from Toronto, Canada, said he planned to file a lawsuit against the Egyptian government in Canada for what he said was a wrongful prosecution.

He said he's terrified of being kidnapped and spirited to Egypt. Fawzy, who came to Canada in 2002 from Sweden and lost his Egyptian citizenship in 1992, denied any involvement in the film. He said the Egyptian government has long been out to get him because of his Coptic Christian activism.

"Of course, I'm worried about this death penalty," Fawzy said, adding that the verdict has limited his ability to travel freely. "Who will give me guarantees that the Egyptian government will not try to kidnap me, to take me to Egypt?"

The other person is a woman who converted to Christianity and is a staunch critic of Islam.

The official news agency report said that during the trial, the court reviewed a video of some defendants calling for an independent Coptic state in Egypt, and another of Jones burning the Quran, Islam's holy book. The prosecutor asked for the maximum sentence, accusing those charged of seeking to divide Egypt and incite sedition. All the defendants, except Jones, hold Egyptian nationality, the agency added.

Some Christians and human rights groups worry that prosecutions for insulting religion, which existed to a degree under the secular-leaning regime of deposed President Hosni Mubarak, will increase with the ascent of Islamists to power in Egypt.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/disputed-articles-egypts-draft-constitution-012327238.html

Disputed articles in Egypt's draft constitution

By The Associated Press | Associated Press – 14 hrs ago

CAIRO (AP) — An Islamist-dominated panel is voting on Egypt's draft constitution, the country's first charter after the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. The draft largely reflects the conservative vision of the Islamists, with articles that rights activists, liberals and Christians fear will lead to restrictions on the rights of women and minorities and civil liberties in general.

Omissions of certain articles, such as bans on slavery or promises to adhere to international rights treaties, were equally worrying to critics of the new draft, who pulled out from the panel before the vote.

Here are some of the disputed articles:

— As in past constitutions, the new draft says that the "principles of Islamic law" will be the basis of law. Previously, the term "principles" allowed wide leeway in interpreting Shariah. But in the draft, a separate new article is added that seeks to define "principles" by pointing to particular theological doctrines and their rules. That could give Islamists the tool for insisting on stricter implementation of rulings of Shariah.

— A new article states that Egypt's most respected Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, must be consulted on any matters related to Shariah, a measure critics fear will lead to oversight of legislation by clerics.

— An article underlines that the state will protect "the true nature of the Egyptian family ... and promote its morals and values," phrasing that is vague and suggests state control over the contents of such arts forms as books and films.

— The draft contains no article specifically establishing equality between men and women because of disputes over the phrasing. However, it maintains that a woman must balance her duties toward family and outside work, suggesting that she can be held accountable if her public role conflicts with her family duties. No such article is mentioned for men.

— An article bans insulting or defaming the prophet and messengers, but is vague about what constitutes an insult, raising concerns of restrictions to freedom of expression.

— An article seeking to ensure people's dignity bans "insulting humans", a vague phrasing that rights activists say contradicts freedom of expression.

— An article maintains that the state supports the arts, science and literature and works to implement them in a way that serves society. That has raised concerns that some arts deemed not in the service of society may be restricted or censored.

— An article preserves the right of the military to try civilians before military tribunals in cases for crimes that harm the armed forces without restrictions, despite an outcry from activists who were calling for the abolishing of such tribunals. More than 11,000 civilians were tried before military tribunals during the post-Mubarak transition overseen by the military.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Palestine's biggest backer is Egypt's Islamist party, yet where are the pro Palestinian posters on this thread? Ya, keep sticking your head in the sand while spreading the usual lies.

[decocker 7,198]

you're posting articles concerning egypt but want us to comment on palestine?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Baiting.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

you're posting articles concerning egypt but want us to comment on palestine?

Who do you think bank rolls Hamas?

[decocker 7,198]

Who do you think bank rolls Hamas?

oh is that what the articles are about? man my comprehension must be slipping.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

oh is that what the articles are about? man my comprehension must be slipping.

Find another thread to troll.

[decocker 7,198]

Find another thread to troll.

okay cool! then you can find another forum to bait?!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

okay cool! then you can find another forum to bait?!

Reported

[JensJrny2Ray 367]

I think it's amazing that a country that is part of the United Nations can try someone without having anyone there to defend them. These people didn't even commit these "crimes" in Egypt.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I think it's amazing that a country that is part of the United Nations can try someone without having anyone there to defend them. These people didn't even commit these "crimes" in Egypt.

Agreed and even worse it is happening in the 21st century.

[decocker 7,198]

Reported

are you reporting yourself? if you want us to talk about palestine in relation to egypt, the post an article concerning their relation.

if you hadn't gotten snippy about no one posting regarding palestine, none of this would have gone off topic.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

are you reporting yourself? if you want us to talk about palestine in relation to egypt, the post an article concerning their relation.

if you hadn't gotten snippy about no one posting regarding palestine, none of this would have gone off topic.

Reported.

[Penny Lane 8,159]