One wonders why this type of discrimination and persecution - sanctioned under Islamic law - doesn't make bigger headlines. No doubt this story would be featured on many prominent news sites and blogs - along with allegations of apartheid - if a mosque in Israel had been burnt by a mob of Jews and the cleric arrested and mosque closed for violating Jewish laws I suspect this incident will be swept under the rug and/or those who publish this story will become hatemongers.
Ironically, it is those who detract human rights supporters and support or ignore these incidents that do the work of hatemongers.
A court in Edfu has sentenced Reverend Makarios Bolous, pastor of St. George's Church in the village of Elmarinab, Edfu, in the Aswan province, to six months prison and a fine of 300 pounds for violations in the height of the church building. The court also ordered the removal of the excess height.
The church had received a license from the Governor of Aswan and was still under construction, but it was torched by a Muslim mob on September 30, 2011 (AINA 10-1-2011). Construction workers had started removing the excess height before the torching of the church.
"Since then no work has been done to it. We are not allowed to pray there or come near it by order of the authorities," said father Salib el-Deek of the Coptic diocese of Edfu. He said that they had proof that the church applied several times to the police to remove the excess, which it had started before the torching of the church, but were not granted permission. The police records were refused to be admitted as evidence by the court.
The church lawyer also presented documents shwing that Rev. Makarios is not the one who is responsible for the removal of the excess height, but the architect and the building contractor, but the court refused to take this into consideration and Father Makarious was convicted...
http://www.aina.org/news/20120306013944.htm
