Law, The Rule of Law and Religious Minorities in Muslim Countries: The Case of Egypt

Middle East Review of International Affairs

Volume 8, Number 4, December 2004

Law, The Rule of Law and Religious Minorities in Muslim Countries: The Case of Egypt
by Yustina Saleh ^*

Abstract

This article analyzes the protection of the rights of religious minorities by Egypt's legal and judicial institutions. The article argues that the Egyptian Constitution, while offering protection of human rights and the right of freedom of belief, retains a significant escape clause--the subordination of Egyptian legislation to the Islamic Shari'a--which has made it possible to abuse those rights. In addition, the executive branch has its own loopholes for circumventing the rule of law: the presidential decree. The article explores the legal status of religious minorities in Egypt and demonstrates the problem of protecting human rights in Egypt.

Full Text (PDF, 13 pages, 73.9 KB)

Note *: Yustina Saleh is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Rutgers University and is a Research Analyst at the Center on Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Research.