Egyptian Muslim Writer To Be Tried For Insulting Islam

Muslim Egyptian writer Fatima Naoot, 50,  criticized the ritual sacrifice of animals that occurs during Eid Al-Adha every year, and now she's in hot water for "insulting Islam."   Back in October she posted on Facebook:

"Happy massacre." " Massacre committed by men over the past 10 centuries and followed by men each year with a smile." "Annual massacre observed because of a nightmare of one (prophet) about his son." "Although the nightmare has passed for the prophet and his son, each year helpless animals pay with their lives the price of this sacred nightmare."

 Eid Al-Adha (aka Feast of the Sacrifice) marks the end of the annual Hajj (trek) to Mecca, and commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's behest. Muslims usually sacrifice a cow, or a sheep, goat, camel or buffalo. As many as 10 million animals are slaughtered on Eid,

Naoot, who is Muslim, deleted her posts from Facebook after controversy erupted about them. But a judicial official said on Saturday that she admitted during questioning that she had written them.

The 50-year-old columnist denied she had any intention to insult Islam, the official told AFP, adding she had also been charged with "making fun of the right to sacrifice".

"It is the price paid by those who carry torches of enlightenment at every age," Naoot wrote on Friday after having been informed of her trial which is due to start on Jan. 28.

She said that in October she had posted messages on Facebook to congratulate Muslims for Eid Al-Adha but "urged them to respect the offering and not humiliate it by flooding the ground with animal blood".

One of her "friends" must have ratted her out.

In Egypt, you're not allowed to insult and of the three major state-sanctioned religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Those who have been convicted have received up to 6 months of jail time.