May 17th, 2010
Egyptian author Youssef Ziedan faces a
five-year jail term after being accused of insulting Christianity in his prize-winning novel Azazeel (Beelzebub). Set in 5th-century Egypt, Alexandria and northern Syria, Ziedan’s novel tells the story of an Egyptian monk who witnesses debates over doctrine between early Christians. The book was an Egyptian bestseller and last year won the
International Prize for Arabic Fiction but the Coptic church had denounced it as offensive for its violent portrait of Coptic church father St Cyril. Now, a group of Egyptian and foreign Copts are using an Egyptian law — which prohibits insults against Islam, Christianity and Judaism — to prosecute Ziedan. In the past, the author has described his novel as “not against Christianity but against violence, especially violence in the name of the sacred”.
December 10th, 2009
A devout Christian couple have been cleared of insulting a Muslim guest at their hotel because of her faith and asking her if she was a terrorist when she wore the hijab. Benjamin and Sharon Vogelenzang denied using threatening, abusive or insulting words which were religiously aggravated. District judge Richard Clancy dismissed the case against them at Liverpool magistrates’ court. He said that the evidence against the couple was inconsistent. Read more
here
July 28th, 2009
The Pope has condemned a Scottish art exhibition which invites visitors to deface a copy of the Bible as “disgusting”. The exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow was intended for the LGBT community who felt left out of religion to “write their way back in” to the holy book. A Vatican spokesperson said the project was “disgusting and offensive,” adding “they would not think of doing it to the Koran.” The Bible will remain on display in a glass case and the public will now have to write comments in another book alongside. Read more
here
July 23rd, 2009
In Texas a panel of experts appointed to revise the state’s history curriculum is recommending changing the history of the United States, as taught at school, to emphasise the role played by God and Christianity in its founding. The board of education will also hear recommendations from social science teachers and has the final say. Read more
here
May 19th, 2009
Former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been accused of using quotes from the Bible in his briefings to George W Bush during the Iraq War. Critics said he risked giving Muslims the impression that the war was a clash between Christianity and Islam. Read more
here
