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CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian woman who held séances in her Cairo flat, during which she claimed the Muslim Prophet Mohammed appeared, was sentenced with 14 followers Tuesday to up to five years in jail for exploiting Islam.
Political science graduates Sheikha Manal Wahid Manei, 41, who was arrested last November, was found guilty of "provoking civil unrest" by holding her weekly all-night meetings. The state security misdemeanors court sentenced Sheikha Manal to five years with labor and handed her followers punishments ranging between a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around $285) and three years in jail. The court heard how she claimed that the Prophet used to give religious instructions during his appearances and that a deceased Muslim mystical Sufi leader, Sheikh Omar Amin, also used to appear. The medium had also told some of her followers they did not have to pray five times a day or make the pilgrimage to Mecca, both of which are among the five pillars of Islam. They were found guilty of "exploiting Islam to spread extremist ideas with the aim of provoking civil unrest and disdaining the religion." Sheikha Manal and around 50 supposed followers were arrested November 12th in the poor Cairo neighborhood of Sayyeda Zeinab after one of her séances, but only the séance leader and 15 followers were brought to trial. Three male followers were handed three year jail terms, seven more were jailed for one year, two women were sentenced to two years in jail while a further two women were fined 1,000 Egyptian pounds. One of the defendants died before the trial ended. |
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