Things are miserable in Egypt for Christians these days. A young Coptic Christian in Egypt was just sentenced to three years in prison for blasphemy after posting a video on Facebook. (Not just any video; the amateur video made in the U.S. that sparked outrage across the Muslim world.) His neighbors turned him in. ABC News reports:
A Cairo court on Wednesday convicted a Coptic Christian blogger who shared an anti-Islam film on social networking sites and sentenced him to three years in prison for blasphemy and contempt of religion.
The case of Alber Saber is one of several seen by rights advocates as a campaign led by Egypt’s ultraconservative Islamists to curb free expression. Many of those targeted in the campaign are Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 85 million.
Saber was arrested Sept. 13, after neighbors complained he had shared on Facebook the amateur film made in the United States that sparked protests across the Muslim world. His arrest came during a wave of public outrage over the film, produced by an Egyptian-American Copt.
At the time, an angry mob surrounded Saber’s house, calling for his death and accusing him of heresy, atheism and of promoting the “Innocence of Muslims” — the short film that portrays the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, womanizer and buffoon.
Saber’s verdict comes as Egypt has been plunged into a political crisis over a draft constitution. Islamist supporters say the charter is a step toward stability while critics warn it will open the door to increased suppression of freedom in the name of religion.
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