Egyptian secular thinker Sayyed al-Qimni has for long been labelled a "sworn opponent of Islam" but a recent state prize awarded to him unleashed a furore from Islamists who have threatened him with death.
"What annoys them is that someone was able to say publicly 'I am secular'," Qimni told AFP in an interview.
The outspoken 62-year-old has been housebound after the campaign against him mushroomed since June when the culture ministry granted him the prestigious State Award of Merit in Social Sciences.
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