Egypt court: Preacher Abdullah banned from broadcasting for 25 days

Ahram Online, Saturday 3 Nov 2012

Preacher Khaled Abdullah, who has frequently mocked activists and liberal politicians, is barred from television for 25 days by court ruling

Khaled
Preacher Khaled Abdullah (Photo: Al-Ahram)

Egypt's Administrative Court ordered Saturday that Khaled Abdullah's Masr El-Gedida TV show, carried by religious channel Al-Nass, be taken off air for 25 days.

The court was responding to a lawsuit filed by lawyers Mohamed Salem and Amr Salem on behalf of former police officer Omar Afifi who claimed that Abdullah had insulted him on air 10 September, reported state-owned news agency MENA.

Abdullah came under the spotlight following the Cabinet office clashes of December 2011 that left at least 14 dead, where he made fun of a veiled woman who was infamously assaulted by military police, and video footages showed she was stripped her of her clothes and stamped in the stomach.

In the wake of the incident, Abdullah blamed the activist for the incident sarcastically commenting, "Why did she go there [protest] in the first place?". He also questioned Mohamed ElBaradei's religious credentials after the former potential presidential candidate expressed solidarity with the assaulted woman.

In recent months, several public figures have filed lawsuits against religious preachers accusing them of defamation.

A popular Egyptian actress, Elham Shaheen, who was recently targetted by preacher Abdullah Badr who accused her of promoting "adultery," in her films won an administrative Court order mandating that Badr's show on the Islamist Al-Hafez channel be taken off air. 

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