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A COURT IN the Egyptian capital of Cairo has sentenced an Armenian belly dancer to six months in prison because her outfit bore too close a resemblance to the country’s flag.
The dancer, known as Safinaz, was fined E£15,000 (€1,800) but has been released on bail pending an appeal.
She was on trial for wearing this outfit during a performance last year in the Red Sea resort town of Ain Sokhna:
It was deemed to be too close to the Egyptian flag by a local hotel owner, who objected to the use of the flag print.
A 2014 law makes “insulting” the national flag a criminal offence in Egypt.
Safinaz is married to an Egyptian and gained instant fame after arriving in Egypt more than two years ago, with her “erotic moves” in performances in several movies and at high-profile weddings.
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Welcome to the 12th century Egypt!
Just as well Egypt does not have a Paddies Day equivalent.
Not sure it’s restricted to Egypt. The U.S. has criminal penalties for damaging or misusing the U.S. flag. Just the other day conservative commentators were banging on about how the arrest of a woman, who had retrieved/stolen a flag from a group of protestors who were walking on it, was unconstitutional.
12th century BC!
That’s my Penney’s shorts in trouble if I ever go there…
So ridiculous! They must have such low crime they can afford to use resources to incarcerate women for dressing in an outfit vaguely resembling the flag.
Rape is rampant in this country, and their persecutions of women and gay people is unbelievable, such a backwards country.
Dis you get that ladies? No orange skirts and green t-shirts or t’is the slammer for ya!
Crazy bloody country
What are these people Not offended by?
Oh so she CAN flaunt her body but not the flag. Nice one
Before everyone gets all high and mighty about how backwards Egypt is, lovely country to visit btw, don’t forget that blasphemy is illegal in our country and 20 odd years ago being gay was as well.
Jesus I’m now a criminal.
Its an old law that the DPP would never charge anyone with you fool! If it even got to her!
As far as I know no one has been convicted of blasphemy in Ireland since the 1855.
The prisons here are packed to the gills with people who took the lord’s name in vain. It’s a real problem.
Doing drugs CAN not be taking the lords name in vain surely
The blasphemy law is not an old law, Dermot Ahern introduced it a few years ago as part of the last FF government
@dermot maybe its time you think for yourself. Point.
I wouldn’t be able to visit Egypt because they would refuse entry at the airport, our country has come a long way since then but guess what? Egypt hasn’t and has gotten much worse over the last few years. How about all the Muslim militants who are destroying all the historic artifacts and raiding all the pyramids and stealing everything and blowing them up because they are un-Islamic? That would be like crazy Catholics going around ireland and blowing up caves and newgrange.
Next would be banning the Dragon fruit..being red white and black…
And people complain about this country
Good job she didn’t wear the top at high mast!
This is very like the case of the Japanese sumo wrestler who bent over and was jailed
Ugh Egypt is so stupid, I’m assuming people aren’t allowed wear a red t-shirt and black pants in day to day life either? This country is a waste land and I’m glad that I don’t actually legally have a chance of visiting that country, if I see food produce coming from Egypt I will not be buying it.
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