The head of the Egyptian Human Rights Organization called it a "limited but positive symbolic step." The decree is foremost an attempt take the pressure off of the military following its massacre of Christian protesters last Sunday. The true test will be how it is enforced.
Generalities about "discrimination" leave its identification in the eye of the beholder, and leave room for excuses and exceptions. Genuine enforcement would require specificity about what constitutes discrimination, and that will be sure to anger Egypt's Islamic supremacists.
There must also follow a process for reporting discrimination that protects the victim and the victim's family from retaliation.
For those reasons, while the decree sounds like it was constructed to appear even-handed on paper (like the useless proposed law on houses of worship), the current state of affairs in Egypt will make it easier for a Muslim to accuse a Christian under this law than for a Christian to accuse a Muslim.
The new law is window-dressing until proven otherwise. "Egypt's military rulers criminalize discrimination," from the Associated Press, October 15:
CAIRO — Egypt's transitional military rulers have issued a decree prohibiting all forms of discrimination, including on the basis of religion.
The step comes about a week after 26 people were killed in clashes involving minority Coptic Christian protesters, the military and others. It was the worst bloodshed since Hosni Mubarak's ouster in February.
The decree was one of the longtime demands of the protest movement that has been pushing for political and other reforms in the post-Mubarak transition toward democracy.
The anti-discrimination measure carries a maximum penalty of three months in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 Egyptian pounds, or nearly $17,000.
Hafiz Abou Saada, head of the Egyptian Human Rights Organization, described the decree as a limited but positive symbolic step.
"The mice voted to bell the cat."
Or you could say that the fat cats decided to bell the mice. ;-)
What? A decree against discriminating against the filthy infidels? Now that's got to rankle many a devout Muslim there. They better get the Muslim Brotherhood in power before the low-life kafir get uppity and think they're equals.
There's a line from Paul Theroux's excellent Dark Star Safari in which he mentioned ill fated proselytizing attempts in Egypt:
"In fact, such priests made few converts, taught by example, and were watched closely by the Muslim Brotherhood, which was less robust in Sudan than in Cairo but robust all the same. That is to say, unbelievers were now and then made an example of by being murdered." (p 37).
Just part of life & death among the "religion of peace" people.
Finally, after it all started 1,400 yrs ago on the burning sands of Main Street Mecca, the chronic problem of religious discrimination against Moslems will be solved.
I have a dream.
- Rev. Martin Luther King
Live is but a dream.
- Lewis Carroll
We're living in a deepening nightmare dream.
- Alarmed Pig Farmer
*** 33:21 ***
I apologize for comparing myself to such great men, but this collectively shared nightmare, which usually starts with the titillating promise of a blockbuster porno movie, seems to always end up in fear and blood.
This longstanding practice of dreaming about Unicorns just ain't working out. For us, at least.
We have Coptics in our local jihad and sharia-fighting organization, and what they are hearing from relatives in Egypt, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the ME -- when they get to hear it, because people in the affected areas are afraid to even call relatives in America lest they be targeted -- it that the persecutions are steadily and rapidly increasing and the situation has reached crisis levels. Of course this is 95% ignored by the Muslim-stream Media and "decrees" are not expected to have much effect.
You read this yet, spencer? http://www.rightsidenews.com/2011100914679/life-and-science/culture-wars/europes-underestimated-islamists.html
What if this turns out to be, in practice, a 'Blasphemy Law' a la Pakistan?
According to the circular based reasoning of Islam, Muslims cannot discriminate against other religions since Sharia does not recognise anything a Muslim does against a non-Muslim as discrimination. A similar circular based reasoning tells Muslims that the Koran is the divine truth because Mohamed said so, and Mohamed was Allah's messenger because the Koran says so.
Islam also refutes the existence of Islamic terrorism because Sharia specifically prohibits Muslims from engaging in terrorism; and as a forbidden activity, it therefore cannot exist. Events like 911 and daily martyrdom bombings around the world are a fair and reasonable defensive reaction against infidels that are guilty of the greatest crimes of all, those of rejecting Allah as the one true god, Mohamed as His prophet, and Sharia as the perfect law for all and everywhere forever.
Meanwhile, non-Muslims are guilty of perpetual terrorism against Islam, as evidenced by there being Muslims in the world living under non-Muslim rule.
Returning to the smoke and mirrors of the proposed legislation against discrimination in newly 'democratic' Egypt, these laws would be another legal weapon to be used against the Copts. But Western politicians driven by Muslim advocacy groups and the hate-filled Left, and quite possibly personal financial interests, will sagely nod and applaud the Egyptian leaders for their devotion to fairness and tolerance.
Very precisely put David. .
If there is to be an Islamic Constitution in Egypt, then this new law merely paves the way for Muslims to enforce Sharia law against non-Muslims for denying the Muslim privilege and impunity promised by Islam.
Discrimination is all in the eyes of the beholder. To date Islam sees nothing discriminating about killing kuffars.
"For those reasons, while the decree sounds like it was constructed to appear even-handed on paper (like the useless proposed law on houses of worship), the current state of affairs in Egypt will make it easier for a Muslim to accuse a Christian under this law than for a Christian to accuse a Muslim."
There is no doubt in my mind about that. Consider that Islam thinks kuffars (non-Muslims) are nothing more than donkeys and monkeys. Which means Islam teaches, kuffars aren't even human and should be killed to put them (us) out of our evil missery for our own good. Its seen as actually helping non-Muslims by killing them. How can that be discrimination?
Its all in the eyes of the beholder. "Beware" of words that seem to good to be true. Because they probably are.