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| Rejecting Boycott, Egyptian Opposition Urges Vote Against Disputed Charter | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| CAIRO — Egyptians living abroad began casting ballots on Wednesday in a bitterly divisive referendum on an Islamist-backed draft constitution, the start of a vote that has become a test of the country’s nascent democracy. | CAIRO — Egyptians living abroad began casting ballots on Wednesday in a bitterly divisive referendum on an Islamist-backed draft constitution, the start of a vote that has become a test of the country’s nascent democracy. |
| After two weeks of often violent protests, the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, announced that it would campaign for ‘no’ votes instead of a boycott, reversing earlier declarations that it would not lend legitimacy to the vote. At the same time, the coalition said it might issue a last-minute call for a boycott if several new conditions pertaining to the referendum, which it also announced Wednesday, were not met by Saturday morning. | After two weeks of often violent protests, the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, announced that it would campaign for ‘no’ votes instead of a boycott, reversing earlier declarations that it would not lend legitimacy to the vote. At the same time, the coalition said it might issue a last-minute call for a boycott if several new conditions pertaining to the referendum, which it also announced Wednesday, were not met by Saturday morning. |
| Separately, a Cairo court delivered a motivating jolt to the opposition, which favors a more secular government, by sentencing an atheist from a Christian family to three years in prison for insulting religion. The verdict was a vivid reminder of opposition fears that the hastily drafted charter does not do enough to protect individual freedoms. | Separately, a Cairo court delivered a motivating jolt to the opposition, which favors a more secular government, by sentencing an atheist from a Christian family to three years in prison for insulting religion. The verdict was a vivid reminder of opposition fears that the hastily drafted charter does not do enough to protect individual freedoms. |
| The opposition’s decision not to boycott the referendum followed weeks of fierce internal debates. While liberals questioned the Islamists’ commitment to protecting basic freedoms, many Islamists had questioned the opposition’s willingness to accept the results of democratic elections if those results went against their wishes. Investors saw the opposition’s participation as a sign of stability, and Egyptian stocks recovered almost 3 percent Wednesday after heavy losses during the previous week’s turmoil. | The opposition’s decision not to boycott the referendum followed weeks of fierce internal debates. While liberals questioned the Islamists’ commitment to protecting basic freedoms, many Islamists had questioned the opposition’s willingness to accept the results of democratic elections if those results went against their wishes. Investors saw the opposition’s participation as a sign of stability, and Egyptian stocks recovered almost 3 percent Wednesday after heavy losses during the previous week’s turmoil. |
| Opposition groups vowed to continue their campaign even if the new charter is approved, as expected. They are eyeing parliamentary elections set to begin in two months. “The National Salvation Front with the Egyptian people will continue to struggle to drop this draft of the constitution,” Hamdeen Sabahi, a leader of the coalition and a former left-nationalist presidential candidate, said at a news conference. “The referendum is not the end of our journey.” | Opposition groups vowed to continue their campaign even if the new charter is approved, as expected. They are eyeing parliamentary elections set to begin in two months. “The National Salvation Front with the Egyptian people will continue to struggle to drop this draft of the constitution,” Hamdeen Sabahi, a leader of the coalition and a former left-nationalist presidential candidate, said at a news conference. “The referendum is not the end of our journey.” |
| The referendum had been scheduled to be held in Egypt on Saturday, but on Wednesday the election commission announced that some provinces would vote then, and the rest a week later, on Dec. 22. It was split into two phases in part because of a boycott by many of Egypt’s judges, whose supervision of the balloting is required by Egyptian law. | The referendum had been scheduled to be held in Egypt on Saturday, but on Wednesday the election commission announced that some provinces would vote then, and the rest a week later, on Dec. 22. It was split into two phases in part because of a boycott by many of Egypt’s judges, whose supervision of the balloting is required by Egyptian law. |
| It was unclear if the split voting would lead the opposition to issue a last-minute call for a boycott of the referendum since its conditions for the vote included that it take place on one day, and have full judicial supervision, independent and international monitors and adequate security. | It was unclear if the split voting would lead the opposition to issue a last-minute call for a boycott of the referendum since its conditions for the vote included that it take place on one day, and have full judicial supervision, independent and international monitors and adequate security. |
| The man convicted of insulting religion, Alber Saber, is expected to be released on about $170 bail pending an appeal. An open and avowed atheist in a very traditional country where such views are usually admitted only in whispers, Mr. Saber, 27, was initially accused of circulating links to an online video lampooning the Prophet Muhammad that set off protests across the Muslim world in September. | The man convicted of insulting religion, Alber Saber, is expected to be released on about $170 bail pending an appeal. An open and avowed atheist in a very traditional country where such views are usually admitted only in whispers, Mr. Saber, 27, was initially accused of circulating links to an online video lampooning the Prophet Muhammad that set off protests across the Muslim world in September. |
| Mr. Saber has denied promoting the video, and when prosecutors searched his computer, they found no evidence to support the charge, so he is being charged for other online statements critical of both Islam and Christianity. | Mr. Saber has denied promoting the video, and when prosecutors searched his computer, they found no evidence to support the charge, so he is being charged for other online statements critical of both Islam and Christianity. |
| Although blasphemy was a criminal offense under former President Hosni Mubarak before Egypt’s revolution, Mr. Saber’s case has raised special alarm because the country’s draft constitution elevates the crime of insulting religion to the charter level. | Although blasphemy was a criminal offense under former President Hosni Mubarak before Egypt’s revolution, Mr. Saber’s case has raised special alarm because the country’s draft constitution elevates the crime of insulting religion to the charter level. |
| “Expect to see many more blasphemy prosecutions in the future now that it’s embedded as a crime in the constitution,” said Heba Morayef, a researcher with Human Rights Watch who is tracking the case. | “Expect to see many more blasphemy prosecutions in the future now that it’s embedded as a crime in the constitution,” said Heba Morayef, a researcher with Human Rights Watch who is tracking the case. |
| Such cases have proliferated in the nearly two years since Mr. Mubarak’s ouster, she said, because his government looked critically at Islamist lawyers who filed such complaints and discouraged prosecutors from pursuing them. | Such cases have proliferated in the nearly two years since Mr. Mubarak’s ouster, she said, because his government looked critically at Islamist lawyers who filed such complaints and discouraged prosecutors from pursuing them. |
| “The spike in prosecutions over the past year and a half was due to complaints being filed by Islamist lawyers on a decentralized basis, but the constitution does more than that, it makes it state policy,” Ms. Morayef said. “The tragic thing is that I think there is nothing anyone can do to stop this from growing in the future.” | “The spike in prosecutions over the past year and a half was due to complaints being filed by Islamist lawyers on a decentralized basis, but the constitution does more than that, it makes it state policy,” Ms. Morayef said. “The tragic thing is that I think there is nothing anyone can do to stop this from growing in the future.” |
| Separately, the defense minister, citing inadequate participation, indefinitely postponed a gathering of social, political and government leaders scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at a military facility. Military officials and a spokesman for President Mohamed Morsi had described the gathering as a display of national unity to repair the near-total rupture in civic discourse that has occurred during the constitutional debate. It was a chance, they said, to show that Egyptians were one “family.” | Separately, the defense minister, citing inadequate participation, indefinitely postponed a gathering of social, political and government leaders scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at a military facility. Military officials and a spokesman for President Mohamed Morsi had described the gathering as a display of national unity to repair the near-total rupture in civic discourse that has occurred during the constitutional debate. It was a chance, they said, to show that Egyptians were one “family.” |
| But the notion that the military was stepping into the debate — even if only as a host — reminded many Egyptians of the military’s control of the transitional government for the first year and a half after Mr. Mubarak’s ouster, and of the desire by some leading generals to maintain a political role behind the scenes of Egypt’s democracy. | But the notion that the military was stepping into the debate — even if only as a host — reminded many Egyptians of the military’s control of the transitional government for the first year and a half after Mr. Mubarak’s ouster, and of the desire by some leading generals to maintain a political role behind the scenes of Egypt’s democracy. |
Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting. | Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting. |