Coptic youths freed after video sparks accusations of insulting Islam

After less than three weeks in detention, six Coptic young men — one a minor — were released, bringing to a close a case that had raised fears of sectarian tensions in the countryside of Egypt’s Minya province.

The case followed the young men’s posting of a video in which they reenacted a scene from an Egyptian film.

In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Nader Shukry, a citizenship researcher and writer specializing in Coptic affairs, described the case and its broader implications. He highlighted challenges around understanding Egyptian law and using social media.

Shukry said the young men, who live in Ezbet Tanious in the village of Taha al-Amda, in the Samalut district of Minya, reenacted a scene from the 2018 film “Khalawis.” The scene does not mock religion, he said; it depicts prisoners known for bullying and violence trying to pray without knowing how.

Dozens of Egyptian Muslims also reenacted and posted the scene without provoking similar reactions, Shukry said. But when the Coptic young men posted it, one village resident objected and accused them of insulting Islam.

The young men deleted the video shortly after posting it because they did not realize some viewers might find it offensive, Shukry said. But incitement continued, prompting security forces to detain them in an effort to contain anger and prevent possible attacks on Christians and their property. He said extremist currents in Minya seek to inflame religious sentiment and create disorder.

Shukry said the young men were not held for long once it became clear they had not intended to insult religion. A de-escalation meeting was also held in the village, with the church taking part. He distinguished this meeting from customary reconciliation sessions, saying it aimed to counter incitement on social media and ease tensions among residents.

Shukry stressed the danger of attributing an individual’s actions, whether the person is guilty or innocent, to an entire religious community. A citizen should be held accountable for what that person did, he said; Christians as a whole, or an entire village, should not bear responsibility for one person’s actions.

He also pointed to pages that publish content insulting Christians without facing legal consequences comparable to those a Christian might face for discussing Islam.

The case involving the six young men remains open until the prosecutor general issues a decision to close it, Shukry said, although it has largely concluded in practice. He cited the short length of their detention compared with other cases involving alleged contempt of religion.

Shukry urged young people to exercise caution when dealing with religious matters and to avoid discussions that others might exploit or present as insults to religion. He distinguished such discussions from interreligious dialogue conducted by specialists.

Egyptian society faces a challenge of awareness, he said, noting that many Christians have previously become involved in cases involving alleged contempt of religion because they were unfamiliar with Egyptian law and how to use social media.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.