This morning, the Luxor Court adjourned the case of the Coptic teacher Dimyana Ebeid Abdel-Nour who was charged with contempt of Islam and preaching Christianity, until paper work related to the case is completed and the case fees are paid
This morning, the Luxor Court adjourned the case of the Coptic teacher Dimyana Ebeid Abdel-Nour who was charged with contempt of Islam and preaching Christianity, until paper work related to the case is completed and the case fees are paid. A huge crowd of Islamists attended the first session of Abdel-Nour’s trial, which only lasted for five minutes, before the judge adjourned the case to 4 June.
The judge’s decision was met with the disapprobation of some; one of the claimants went out of the court angry at the judge’s decision, insisting that a verdict should have passed during the first session in such a case where “the Prophet Mohamed was disdained,” he said. An equally angry bearded crowd accompanied him outside the court, and started instigating against Abdel-Nour, insisting that she was guilty and must be punished.
Abdel-Nour, a primary school social studies teacher in Luxor was accused of contempt of Islam, on account of literally clapping her chest with her hand—a casual gesture of disbelief—when the name of the Prophet Mohamed was mentioned, Mamdouh Abdel Al, one of the claimants lawyers said pointing out that “this gesture means that she rejects our Prophet”. According to Abdel Al, Abdel Nour is also accused of preaching Christianity since she told her students that the late Pope Shenouda III was a better man than the Prophet of Islam.
The Coptic teacher had undergone several interrogations at luxor educational directorate, and the legal department of Luxor governorate, and she was cleared from charges by all these official bodies. But one fanatic parent took matters a step further and filed a complaint to the prosecution, with the support of two other witnesses.
Watani International
21 May 2013