In war against atheism, Egypt targets cafes
Egyptian authorities have reportedly shut down a Cairo cafe that was popular among atheists, though some activists say that the officials' display of force is little more than a media show.
On Dec. 14, Egyptian news sites reported that Gamal Mohi, chief of the Abdeen neighborhood, led a group of policemen to close down Hikayatuna Cafe in downtown Cairo. Mohi said that the cafe had been housing groups of young atheists. The crackdown came a few days following the Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah's (Egyptian House of Fatwas) report that Egypt has the highest population of atheists in the Arab world at 866.
Mohi's statements sparked satirical comments on social networking sites. In a press statement, the governor of Cairo said that the cafe was shut down because it was not licensed, not because it was frequented by atheists.
Legal expert Mahmoud Kbeish told Al-Monitor, "The Egyptian Constitution guarantees the freedom of belief, and atheism is not punished by the penal code. However, defamation of religion is punishable according to Article 98 of the constitution."
Mustafa al-Baghdadi, a political activist in the April 6 Youth Movement, said on Facebook that he owns the Hikayatuna Cafe, and that it had been closed weeks before Mohi's campaign, which he called a "media show."
