(Cario) 49 year old Magdy Farag Samir, a Coptic teacher in Egypt has been cleared by a court of contempt of religion, after he was charged last month for including wordplays in a set of questions about Islam’s prophet, Muhammad. It appears that as is the case the world over Muslims took offence at questions he set his students and they and their parents reported him this. So what were the questions which saw Samir arrested and jailed for 19 days:
1) “Where was the prophet Muhammad born?”
He then offered three options:
1. Yathrib (in Saudi Arabia).
2. Mecca (also in Saudi Arabia)
3. Hafiza Abo Tartour (Abo Tartour is a village in Egypt, but also the word for a cone hat).
2) “Who was the nurse of the prophet Muhammad?”
The two options were:
1. Halima Al-Saadia (the correct answer).
2. Halima Bta’at El ta’amiya (“Bta’at El ta’amiya” translates as “a seller of falafel”, a Middle Eastern dish).
For asking 2 simple questions, Samir was arrested and
charged with insulting the prophet Muhammad and Islam,”Despite being cleared by a court, he has had to change
schools. Isn’t Islam great.
