Rights are not absolute. An absolutist understanding of rights is the inevitable prelude to their absolute denial. More specifically, there is always tension when rights are partially opposed and their attainment in common entails an act of compromise. The right to free expression in this perspective should not be used or abused to deny the right to dignity or the right to privacy. It is even more fundamental that a balance be reached between the right to free expression and a group's right to the respect of its religious beliefs or symbols.
Obscenity is also an issue here.
Certain constraints may be introduced so as to protect public morality from extreme language, on the condition that these constraints are deemed necessary and reasonable. In our own specific case, these rules may be applied creatively with an eye on public peace. People in Egypt at this point are seized by a conservative mood, extreme religious sensitivity and a severe sense of vulnerability to what is generally called the cultural invasion. Many changes in the very fabric of society fly in the face of established norms and beliefs. In these circumstances, it is essential not to incite people to extremist religious propaganda and fanatic mobilisation, as witnessed in the case of Haydar Haydar's novel.