Islamic group blasts death sentences for pastor, others

The Council on American Islamic Relations has announced its strong repudiation of a conviction in absentia from an Egyptian court that sentenced a Florida pastor and seven Egyptian Christians to death.

The court announced the sentences Wednesday.

The Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, a church in Gainesville, is one of the people convicted. He is associated with the film “Innocence of Muslims,” which many people in coun- tries with large Muslim populations found offensive because of its portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad as a pedophile and bumbler.

“We repudiate this un-Islamic attempt to impose the death sentence for blasphemy, a sentence that the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) himself never imposed, despite being attacked both rhetorically and physically,” said Nihad Awad, CAIR’s national executive director.

“We ask civil and religious authorities in Egypt to honor the legacy of the prophet by following his example and rejecting these death sentences. To do otherwise violates Is- lamic principles and offers support to those — like the extremists who produced this despicable film — who seek to defame Islam and Muslims,” he added.

Jones reportedly promoted the film, which was written and produced by an Egyptian Coptic Christian who lives in the U.S., according to USA Today.

The majority of the eight convicted people live in the U.S. and are unlikely ever to face Egyptian justice.