Egypt’s justice minister under fire for ‘prophet’ remark

Egypt’s justice minister faces outrage on social media Sunday after a television interview in which he said he would arrest even “a prophet,” although he later admitted it was a “slip of tongue.”

When asked in an interview on private satellite channel Sada Al-Balad on Friday about a case involving journalists accused of defaming him and whether he would jail them, Ahmed al-Zind said he would imprison anyone.

“Even if it’s a prophet, God’s peace and blessings be upon him,” Zind said, using the Islamic saying of reverence spoken by Muslims only when referring to the Prophet Mohammed.

Upon realizing what he had said, Zind immediately stopped and said: “I ask for forgiveness from God.”

He further said any “wrongdoer, whatever his identity — even judges” would be jailed if found guilty.

Zind’s remarks triggered outrage on social media networks immediately after the interview, with angry tweets continuing to pour in on Sunday.

— AFP