On display here is a tactic that turns up wherever politics are at work in a society: advancing one’s agenda under labels that employ pleasant generalities that sound like good things at face value. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (what, don’t you like the will of “the people“?). The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (what, […]
Report: Egyptian priest sentenced to six months in jail over “excess church height”
According to Umdat al-Salik, a manual of the Shafi’i school of Islamic jurisprudence certified as “reliable” by none other than Al-Azhar University in Cairo: “The subject peoples … must keep to the side of the street; may not build higher than or as high as the Muslims” buildings, though if they acquire a tall house, […]
Egypt: Salafist MP resigns after cover story for nose job blown
“War is deceit,” but there are still some scruples about nose jobs. Nose jobs are deceit as well, but in that case, it’s a bad thing. There are some serious points to take away from this story, however. One is that those who are legislating Sharia will still act above it, because power corrupts. Those […]
Egyptians offer “anti-Christianization” course
This effort is an attempt to keep proselytizing a one-way street in accordance with Sharia. “Anti-Christianization” course in Egypt aims to combat conversion,” from Bikya Masr, March 3: CAIRO: A recent course in Egypt’s southern city of Aswan has raised a few eyebrows after it was announced that the course would be an “anti-Christianization course” […]
Egyptian parliament: Sideshow Mamdouh strikes again
This guy again. The one who interrupted parliamentary proceedings by shouting the call to prayer, and inserted a vow to abide by Allah’s law in his oath of office. He is becoming a sideshow act, but at the same time, his attitudes and behavior are all too emblematic of a larger trend in Egyptian society. […]
Egypt throws out case against Christian accused of insulting Islam
He posted a cartoon making fun of a style of dress, and that was seized upon an insult to Islam. Naguib Sawiris was really being brought to trial for daring to mock those who intended to be his new overlords, but who seem to have overreached for now. An update on this story. “Egypt court […]
U.S. pays $5 million in jizya to buy freedom for Americans held in Egypt
Will the freeing of the blind Sheikh (a story I broke here) follow this capitulation to terrorism and banditry? “US pays $5 million to buy freedom for rights workers on trial in Egypt,” from Fox News, March 1 (thanks to Robert): CAIRO — Seven American rights workers are on a plane out of Egypt after […]
Egypt: Christian man jailed for 6 years for “contempt of religion,” insulting Muhammad
There is an alarming similarity of practices developing between East and West, which groups like the OIC are exploiting to their purpose: the criminalization of hurt feelings, but only hurt feelings of a certain approved pedigree. “Egypt Christian man jailed for insulting Prophet,” by Joseph Mayton for Bikya Masr, March 1: CAIRO: Egypt has jailed […]
Egypt: Copts protest disappearance of Christian girls… again
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Coptic Pope Shenouda III warned in 1976: “There is a practice to convert Coptic girls to embrace Islam and marry them under terror to Muslim husbands.” This practice has reportedly intensified since the revolution. “Egypt’s Copts protest ‘disappearance of girls’,” by Mohamed Abdel Salam and […]
Al-Arabiya: US in talks to swap jihad terror Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman & 49 others for 19 Americans held in Egypt
About to get a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card? Al-Arabiya is reporting, in Arabic only so far, that the U.S. is talking with the Egyptian government to free the blind Sheikh and 49 other Egyptians currently imprisoned in the U.S. in exchange for the freedom of the 19 Americans the Egyptians are holding. The blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel […]