"What happened with Islam al-Beheiri and Fatima Naaot is a judicial issue, but the blasphemy law is misused and I demanded its abolition," Egyptian Culture Minister Hilmi al-Namnam commented on the issues of blasphemy against Islam Beheiri, Islamic researcher, and Fatima Naaot, writer and poet.
In an interview with al-Hayat TV Sunday evening, Namnam said the blasphemy law has basically been designed to prosecute Copts. He pointed out that the term "blasphemy" is used the wrong way and that he called for rescinding it.
He added that Naaot apologized for what she published, but she was charged, which discredits Egypt abroad.
Namnam explained that during his visits to public libraries in the last week of September 2015, he found books authored by Sayyid Qutb and demanded to quickly get rid of these books and “send them to the choppers.”
Sayyid Qutb is an Islamic writer and theorist and former member of the Muslim Brotherhood guidance office. His writings urge violence and rejection and hatred of others.
On January 26, an Egyptian court sentenced Egyptian writer and novelist Fatima Naaot to three years in prison and a fine of 20,000 EGP on charges of blasphemy.
The Egyptian prosecutor referred Naaot to the misdemeanor court for blasphemy and ridiculing Islamic rituals on Facebook.
In front of the prosecution, Naaot denied the charges and said she dealt with the issue without the intention to disdain an Islamic ritual.
Egyptian Islamic scholar Islam Beheiri was also sentenced to one year in prison for blasphemy. His appeal against his sentence was refused.
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