Stand for the national anthem or go to jail, says Cabinet
Insulting the Egyptian flag or failing to stand when the national anthem is playing is now a crime that could result in a prison term of up to six months or an LE5,000 fine, according to a Cabinet decree passed on Wednesday.
Some say the new decree could be a reaction to Salafi MPs and other opposition figures refusing to stand during the anthem as an act of protest. The ultra-conservative Salafi school of thought thinks standing for the anthem is a form of heresy forbidden by Sharia.
The law may also be targeted toward Islamist schools run by the now-illegal Muslim Brotherhood group, which were accused of not playing the national anthem at the beginning of the school day and playing Islamic songs instead.
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