An appeal hearing is set for March 2016, and Naoot remains free. On 26 January 2016 Fatima was sentenced to three years in jail and handed a fine of LE20,000 (about $2,550). Naoot also published a similarly critical article for the daily El-Masry El-Youm.ĭuring her trial, which began on 28 January 2015, Naoot acknowledged that she had written the post but denied that her intention was to insult Islam. The Eid-al-Adha festival celebrates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his first-born son to obey God. In December 2014 Naoot was referred for trial, accused of ‘contempt of religion’, ‘spreading sectarian strife’, and ‘disturbing public peace’ for a post she made on her Facebook page in October 2014, which criticised the tradition of slaughtering animals for Eid-al-Adha.

She has published 21 books, including seven poetry anthologies, and has translated authors such as Virginia Woolf and Philip Roth. As well as being the chief editor of the literary magazine Qaws Qazah (The Rainbow), she is also a regular columnist and writer for a range of magazines and newspapers across Egypt and the Middle East. Take Action for Fatima Naoot on International Women's Dayįatima Naoot (Egypt) is a poet and former parliamentary candidate, having run for a parliamentary seat in late 2015.

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