Mabrouk Attia, professor of Islamic Sharia at Al Azhar University, raised controversy again following statements about Jesus, which some criticized as a mockery.
Attia said: “Every word in the Sermon on the Mount is for our master Jesus – whether Mr Christ or Mr Mars, they are all our masters.”
The statement raised anger on social media, saying he denied the name of Christ, using it as a means of ridicule.
Following these statements, lawyer Samir Sabry submitted a complaint to the Attorney General and the Supreme State Security Prosecution against Attia, accusing him of mocking Jesus, saying in the complaint: “Everyone was surprised by a video posted on social media, in which the named Mabrouk Attia appeared and the Islamic preacher mocked Jesus, peace be upon him.”
Egyptian lawyer Naguib Gebrael, head of the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights, said that he will file a claim as well against Attia, accusing him of contempt of religion, as he described Jesus using ironic words.
Gebrael stressed that Attia’s statement provokes sectarian strife and threatens national unity and social peace, which are all crimes stipulated in Article 98 and of the Penal Code.
“Whoever ridicules prophets, holy books and religious symbols shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than three years and not more than five years,” according to Gebrael.
Writer Alaa Ramzy commented on Attia’s mockery of Jesus, as he wrote on Facebook saying: “It seems clear to me that Mabrouk Attia is suffering from a psychological crisis after he was subjected to a strong attack on his description of the veiled woman as a basket.”
He was even been attacked by his supporters, and now ridiculing Jesus proves that he has “lost his senses,” he added.
As a result of the stern reactions to Attia’s statements, the preacher published a video clip on his official YouTube channel, stressing that he would never make fun of a prophet.
“I do not remember that I mocked Jesus. Whoever mocks the Christ mocks Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in language, because they are all prophets,” he said.
Attia always raises controversy with his statements, the latest of which was his comment on the murdered Mansoura student Naira Ashraf, who was slaughtered on the street by a colleague.
He also said earlier that the women of Egypt should be dressed like basket in order to protect themselves, in reference to veiled women, which caused a social uproar.