Sawiris will be tried for defamation of religion

The Central Cairo Prosecution has referred on Monday the Egyptian Coptic businessman Naguib Sawiris to face trial over charges of defamation of religion, by posting cartoons on his Twitter account in June. Sawiris posted a picture depicting Mickey Mouse wearing a beard and Minnie Mouse wearing a face veil on his Twitter account, a cartoon that many Muslims considered offensive. The Egyptian lawyer Mamdouh Ismail and some other lawyers filed a suit over the incident, accusing Sawiris of intentionally ridiculing Islamic icons. Ismail said Sawiris has openly said he rejects Article 2 of the constitution, which states that Islam is the religion of the state, Arabic is its language, and Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation.