Three Christian students on trial for insulting Islam
The students are seen mocking Islamic prayers in a video. The teacher who made the latter was sentenced to three years in prison. For the kids’ lawyer, because of a “random and spontaneous” prank, his clients are forced to hide at home to avoid retaliation.
Cairo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Three Coptic students charged with insulting Islam will stand trial this week after appearing in a video mocking Muslim prayers. Their teacher was sentenced to three years in prison in a separate trial over the same charges.
The incident became known in April 2015, shortly after 21 Coptic Christians were beheaded by Islamic State militants on a Libyan beach, fuelling Muslim-Christian tensions in Egypt.
The 30-second video, filmed by the teacher, shows the students pretending to pray: one is kneeling on the floor whilst reciting Qur’anic verses and others are standing behind him and laughing. One waved his hand under a second’s neck in a sign of beheading.
The video sparked anger among local Muslims, who called for the eviction of the three students and the teacher.
The kids’ lawyer, Maher Naguib, said that community elders expelled the teacher and his family from the village.
For him, a youthful prank sadly has had serious repercussions. “The students couldn’t attend school and remain indoors to avoid insults, beating and harassment,” he said. “This is all because of random and spontaneous action by some youngsters inside a bedroom and for only few seconds.”
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