A Cairo court sentenced Sheikh Mohamed Abdallah Nasr to five years in prison on February 26. 2017 over the charge of ‘contempt of religion’ after he had claimed that the amputation of hands is not a valid Islamic punishment. Mohamed Abdallah Nasr was known for being the Imam of Tahrir Square Friday prayers during the Egyptian Revolution. He rose to popularity after inspiring the start of what is popularly referred to as ‘The Islamic Enlightenment Movement’. Sheikh Nasr, who is a graduate of Al-Azhar, is well known for his criticism of the curriculum currently taught by Al-Azhar and their refusal to heed President Sisi’s call for reforming the way sheikhs teach religion in Egypt. Mohamed Nasr may have been arrested and sentenced to prison for his views, but is he the first Egyptian to be punished for having a non-mainstream view? A similar case is that of Dr. Nasr Abu Zayd, an Islamic thinker and philosopher, who was casted out because of his views. Abu Zayd urged individuals to practice logical and holistic thinking and argued that the Quranic verses can have multiple interpretations and tolerance of these interpretations is…
