Christian HR Group Condemns Detention of Egyptian Quranic Blogger Who Challenged Extremism

He adds, “We also call on the Egyptian authorities to amend all legislation restricting freedom of religion or belief, including Article 98 (f) of the Penal Code, which criminalizes insulting religion, and is open to misuse against religious minorities.”

CSW leadership has reported that Mr. Rahman has been arrested and interrogated on several previous occasions in relation to articles he published in his blog, “Justice, Freedom and Peace.”

“In his articles, Mr. Rahman challenged the extremist narratives underpinning the ideology of Political Islam Movements, arguing that their use to justify sectarian violence contradicted the Quran,” the leadership of CSW has reported, adding in reference to Mr. Rahman, “His last published post was in 2015.”

According to the Christian organization that advocates for religious freedom, Mr. Rahman was arrested in 2020 together with a number of family members of the renowned Quranic thinker and former lecturer at Al-Azhar University, Professor Ahmed Sobhy Mansour. 

CSW leadership describes professor Mansour as a prominent Quranic thinker who was sacked from his job at Al-Azhar University in 1985 for expressing differing views from the traditional Sunni schools adopted by Al-Azhar.

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The professor, the Christian foundation reports, was arrested several times before emigrating to the U.S., where he currently lives.

While everyone else was released a few days later, Mr. Rahman was held incommunicado for 44 days during which he reportedly suffered mistreatment.

He was eventually charged with “membership of ISIS”, CSW leadership reports, adding that an investigation is pending in the Quranic blogger’s case.

CSW officials have reported that the Egyptian blogger’s family has expressed concern about the conditions in the police station at Kafr Saqr in Al-Sharqiya governorate where he is being held.

“They report that Mr. Abdel Rahman’s health has deteriorated, he has lost weight, and they have had difficulty obtaining permits to visit him,” CSW leadership reports in reference to the Egyptian blogger’s family members.

The members of his family, CSW leadership further reports, “have also raised concerns about the spread of COVID-19 inside the detention centre.” 

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.