Egyptian business mogul under fire over “offensive” tweet

Naguib Sawiris, one of the richest men in Egypt, has been accused of insulting Islam after tweeting a cartoon showing Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in Muslim clothing. The telecommunications mogul has become the focus of a boycott campaign and an official complaint launched by several Islamic lawyers in the country. Shares in Orascom, Sawiris’s company and Egypt’s largest private employer, have tumbled as a result of the controversy, which comes at a time of increased tension between Egypt’s Muslims and Coptic Christians. A champion of secularism, Sawiris has been an outspoken critic militant Islam and was one of the leading voices in the anti-Mubarak movement that toppled Egypt’s government this past spring. Sawiris apologized for tweeting the image, which showed Mickey dressed in an Islamic robe and sporting a full beard, alongside Minnie, who is wearing a niqab.

BBC News