Artist: the writer Salaheddin Mohsen
Confronting Bodies: Government of Egypt; Egyptian Islamists
Date of Action: 2001
Specific Location: Egypt
Description of Artwork: In his books Salaheddin Mohsen writes about the fact that he does not believe in Islam. Against Islam, he uses his texts to promote secular thought and his belief on atheism.
Description of Incident: Salaheddin Mohsen’s anti-Islam texts came under scrutiny by the Egyptian government and courts who accused the writer of atheism and blasphemy against Islam.
Results of Incident: An Egyptian state security court sentenced Salaheddin Mohsen, a writer accused of blasphemy, to three years in prison with hard labor for writings deemed offensive to Islam. The court also ordered that all of Mohsen's books and publications be confiscated for containing what it described as "extremist" ideas. Mohsen was not the only person censored in Egypt for anti-Islam beliefs, the female preacher Manal Manea was also sentenced to three years in prison for atheism and blasphemy in 2001.
Source: Al-Ahram Weekly at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/519/eg6.htm ; And, Democracy Frontline at: http://democracyfrontline.org/blog/?p=1597
Submitted By: National Coalition Against Censorship