Poet Hesham al-Gokh denies media reports that prosecutors summoned him over accusations he insulted Islam in one of his works.
"I sent my lawyer to the Public Prosecution to inquire [about] what was going on; it turned out to be a rumor," Gokh said in a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm's website Tuesday.
He said he does not know the alleged source behind the complaint, Salwa al-Faresy, and denied that he has written poems denigrating religion. Al-Masry Al-Youm had reported earlier Tuesday that the complaint cited the poem "Human is based on five," saying the title refers to the five pillars of Islam.
The alleged complaint also said that Gokh compared his beloved to the Kaaba and distorted verses from the Quran in the poem.
Gokh gained popularity following the January 2011 revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak for his poems attacking the erstwhile regime.
As Islamists took over power following the revolution, calls have increased to suppress works that are at odds with Sharia, while intellectuals and artists are increasingly voicing concerns for the future of freedom of expression in Egypt.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm website
