Egyptian Solidarity Wants Removal of Religious Defamation Laws From Country's Constitution

Egyptian Solidarity has called for the removal of religious defamation laws from the Egyptian penal code and constitution, explaining that such laws contradict the principles of human rights.

The organization noted that these laws had become a weapon to threaten the country's stability and called on the Egyptian people to reject and remove such biased language from the documents.

"Since the issuances of text providing for the charge of religious defamation, it has been used as a means to oppress and unfairly imprison citizens. It provides extremists with the pretext to unjustly accuse them, harming them and their families," a statement, signed by a number of individuals and rights organizations, read.

"These texts are illegal and were only introduced to suppress and overpower citizens and discriminate between them. They are used as a means for the weak to oppress the innocent," the statement added.

"Such texts allow unprincipled prosecutors to issue unfair rulings against ordinary citizens, under the pretext of protecting religion, while it turns a blind eye to extremists fueling sedition … they are oppressors' unfair people who issue unfair rules that they say protect religion. But it is God who protects religion," the organization continued.