Egyptian Actor Jailed for Insulting Islam

Egypt’s Arab Spring is making freedom of speech a punishable offense.

The Arab world’s most famous comic actor is heading to jail for supposedly insulting Islam through his films and plays.

Adel Imam has received a three-month jail sentence for insulting Islam in films and plays, a court document showed on Thursday.

Imam, who has frequently poked fun at authorities and politicians of all colors during a 40-year career, has one month to appeal the sentence and will remain out of jail until the appeal process is concluded.

The sentence Wednesday evening came weeks after Islamists swept most seats in a parliamentary election. The case was brought by Asran Mansour, a lawyer with ties to Islamist groups, and had languished in court for months, judicial sources said.

The actor is accused of offending Islam and its symbols, including beards and the Jilbab, in the film “Morgan Ahmed Morgan” and the play “Al-Zaeem” (“The Leader”).

Let’s see if anyone from Hollywood wears a pin or ribbon in solidarity with Imam during the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.