An Egyptian Muslim cleric has been barred from preaching and is set to appear before a court for saying Christians and Jews followed corrupt religions and would not go to heaven, AFP reported Friday (May 12th).
Salem Abdel Galil, a former religious endowments ministry official, had made the remarks on a television show he hosts, sparking a public backlash.
The endowments ministry, which controls the country's mosques, said Abdel Galil would not be allowed to preach Friday prayer sermons unless he retracts his comments.
Naguib Gobrail, a lawyer and Coptic Christian activist, said a misdemeanor court scheduled a hearing for June 24th to look into his complaint against the cleric.
"This is slander of religion and threatens Egyptian unity," Gobrail said.
Abdel Galil had criticised Muslim clerics who say Christians and Jews are "believers" and described the non-Muslims as "kuffar".
His comments prompted the ministry to "prevent him from ascending the pulpit unless he remedies the concerns and tension caused by his comments", it said in a statement on Wednesday. Abdel Galil apologised for his remarks on Thursday.
