In Egypt, freedom is up for debate

CAIRO ?? Graffiti and artwork from last year denouncing former dictator Hosni Mubarak can be seen on walls and buildings, reminders of the freedom with which Egyptians expressed themselves during their revolt.

Yet nearly 20 months after the uprising that ousted Mubarak, who stifled free speech for decades, Egypt is deciding whether to embrace or restrict liberties cherished in the West.

The impending completion of a draft constitution will decide the question of whether Egypt creates a society that looks to the Western model of tolerance of dissenting views or the authoritarian example of criminalizing opinions that are repugnant to the majority of citizens.

One path for the future was brought into focus last month when hundreds of Egyptians denounced America for allowing a filmmaker to make a video critical of Islam. Several thousand Salafis who support a stringent Islamic state in Egypt stormed the U.S. Embassy compound with others and tore down the American flag.

"Those who insulted Prophet Mohammed [with] the film are hiding behind the Western laws of freedom of expression that we totally reject," said Abdel Shafi, head of the Islamic Lawyers Association. "What they did and the laws they take refuge behind are totally despicable."

Shafi said a constitution being drafted by lawmakers should clearly indicate that freedom of expression and opinion should be applied to everything but religion.

"Disdaining religion is a clearly defined crime within the Egyptian legal system," he said. "What we need now is to practically and strictly uphold those laws."

Dina Zakaria, a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) that dominated parliamentary elections before the body was dissolved, said the Brotherhood believes in freedom of religion and speech. "If you don't allow for it you are encouraging extremism in society," she said.

There's one exception, she said.

"Humiliation of any religion, of any prophet, we are against that," Zakaria said. "This has nothing to do with freedom of speech. It means that you just give a chance for those who want to create chaos to do that."

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In Egypt, freedom is up for debate