• 03:12
  • Wednesday ,15 May 2013
العربية

LE20,000 bail set for Coptic school teacher accused of 'insulting' Islam

By Ahram Online

Copts and Poliltical Islam

00:05

Wednesday ,15 May 2013

LE20,000 bail set for Coptic school teacher accused of 'insulting' Islam

Egypt's Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah sets bail for Coptic Christian primary school teacher Demiana Emad, accused of insulting Islam, at LE20,000 ($2,870).

The 23-year-old social studies teacher was arrested on 9 May after the head of the parents association of Sheikh Sultan Primary School in Luxor filed a complaint in April.
 
Emad, who denied the allegations against her, said several Islamic "extremists" had incited schoolchildren to testify against her.
 
The prosecutor-general also questioned Emad over allegations of proselytising to students, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
 
Similar accusations were made against another Coptic teacher in July of last year after he posted pictures on Facebook deemed insulting to Islam and the Prophet Mohamed.
 
That teacher was sentenced to six years in prison.
 
Egypt's Coptic Christian minority – thought to account for roughly 10 percent of Egypt's population of almost 90 million – have been targets of sectarian attacks by anti-Coptic elements in recent years.