Manal Manea, Egyptian female preacher

Date: 2001

Region: Africa

Subject: Religious, Political/Economic/Social Opinion

Medium: Public Speech


Artist: Manal Manea, an Egyptian female preacher

Confronting Bodies: Government of Egypt; Egyptian Islamists

Date of Action: 2001

Location: Egypt

Description of Artwork: Manal Manea preached openly about her anti-Islam views. She spoke of the fact that she did not believe in Islam, preached atheism and promoted secular thought.

The Incident: Manal Manea’s anti-Islam beliefs came under scrutiny by the Egyptian government and courts who accused the female preacher of atheism and blasphemy against Islam.

Results of Incident: In 2001, Manal Manea was sentenced to three years in prison for promoting atheism and blasphemy against Islam. Manea was not the only anti-Islamist censored in Egypt for his/her beliefs. The writer Salaheddin Mohsen was also sentenced to three years in prison for writings that were deemed offensive to Islam and promoted atheism in 2001.

Source: Democracy Frontline at: http://democracyfrontline.org/blog/?p=1597