Bearded Mickey Mouse cartoon angers Islamists

AN Egyptian Christian telecom mogul has angered Islamic hard-liners by posting an online cartoon of Mickey Mouse with a beard and Minnie in a face veil.

The ultra conservative Islamists, known as Salafis, called the cartoon posted by Naguib Sawiris on Twitter a mockery of Islam.

They launched an online campaign calling on Muslims in Egypt to boycott Sawiris’ mobile phone company Mobinil. Shares of Mobilnil and Orascom Telecom, which Sawiris founded, both fell yesterday.

Sawiris promotes a secular Egypt. He owns media companies and after Hosni Mubarak stepped down in February, he launched a political party that calls for separation of state and religion.

After the cartoon, posted a few days ago, stirred complaints on Twitter, Sawiris tweeted an apology on Friday and claimed he was joking.

“I apologise for those who don’t take this as a joke; I just thought it was a funny picture; no disrespect meant. I am sorry,” he tweeted.

At least 15 Salafi lawyers have filed lawsuits accusing Sawiris of religious contempt.

A Facebook group named We hate you Mickey Sawiris depicts the Egyptian businessman as Mickey Mouse. The group’s motto is: “No to mockery of Islam.”

The cartoons are another source of sectarian tensions, which have already exploded into violence on a number of occasions in the post-Mubarak transition.