Egyptian Christian teacher fined R140 000 for ‘blasphemy’

Originally published in Persecution.org

An Egyptian court has convicted a 24-year-old Coptic Christian teacher of blasphemy– based on the complaints of three children in her class — and fined her 100 000 Egyptian pounds (R140 000).

The court on Tuesday ruled that elementary schoolteacher Dimyana Abdel-Nour had insulted Islam. Abdel-Nour, who had denied the charge, was not in the courtroom for the verdict.

The case in the ancient southern city of Luxor began when three parents said their 10-year-olds complained at home, saying their teacher showed disgust when she spoke of Islam in class.

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Angry Islamists, who want the teacher jailed, protested the verdict outside the courthouse.

Egypt has witnessed a surge in blasphemy charges in recent months, widely seen as a reflection of the growing power of Islamists.

Blasphemy became a criminal offense under Egypt’s new, Islamist-backed constitution.

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