A Salafi allegedly killed his colleague on Wednesday at a farm in Beheira Governorate for insulting Islam and not praying, a security source said.
Saad Abdel Ghani, 37, admitted to the murder, saying he smashed his 21-year-old colleague Hani Faisal’s head for not waking up for prayers, the source said.
State-run television reported on its website that Abdel Ghani, who belongs to the Salafi movement, informed a group of sheikhs of his intention to kill the victim.
However, Salafi sheikhs said it was a criminal act that is not connected to religion or the sect.
Abdel Meguid al-Atrash, a senior sheikh in Beheira, said that Salafism is rooted in true faith in Islam and Sharia Law.
Salafis, traditionally reserved to their mosques, have expressed increasing interest in engaging with the country's social and political landscapes after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February.
