Change of government in Egypt was meant to bring much needed democracy and freedom to the country. Shia Muslims, as any other Egyptian, hoped the new government would keep its promises for freedom and democracy. It would become a place where Shia could peacefully practice their faith. However, now, more than before Shia Muslims are being arrested, suppressed, and advertised as Non-Muslim. As the result of anti- Shia movements in Egypt, many Shia-Muslims were arrested and detained for practicing their faith. Muhammad Asfour and Seyed Muhammd are among those arrested in an Ashura commemoration last year. The judge told Muhammad Asfour he had two options: to go to jail or to change his faith. In another incident, a Shia man was arrested for teaching Shia faith. His wife was divorced by court and forced to marry another man. The Egyptian government is violating many human rights articles by forcing Shias to change faith, interfering with Shias’ private lives, arresting and detaining them and also spreading hate messages in media and public. Although the Egyptian Constitution, under Article 46, provides for freedom of belief and the practice of religious rites, Shia Muslims are a minority group that is not allowed to practice their faith in public or in private Islamic centers. Salafists and government backed clerics speared hate messages among the public to the point where most Egyptians now think Shia are not even Muslim even though they believe in the same God, Quran, practice Hadj, daily prayers and Ramadan fasting. Every day, more and more pictures, webinars and ads are posted on the internet in display of the flourishing anti-Shiism in Egypt. criticalppp/archives/271443
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 19:37:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015