Now, seven months later, after the Islamists' political victory, a zealot filed a complaint charging the businessman with insulting religion; the case has been referred to court by the Cairo prosecutor, and a hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11.
How this case is handled will reveal much about the kind of democracy we can expect in Egypt under an Islamist-led government. It will also provide a yardstick by which to judge whether religious parties in other Arab countries can coexist with democracy - and permit dissent.
In late October, I interviewed Sawiris in his 26th-floor offices, which have a breathtaking view of the Nile. "We could have another Iran here," he said gloomily.
Unlike many other wealthy Egyptian businessmen who were too fearful to get involved in politics, Sawiris gave generously to liberal parties. But they could not compete with the huge sums pouring in to Islamist parties from Arab Gulf countries. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party won 47 percent of parliamentary seats, and the Salafi (fundamentalist) Nour Party received 25 percent. Sawiris' party got only 9 percent.
One of the tycoon's deepest fears was that an Islamist government would deny equal rights to Egypt's Coptic Christians. He also worried that Islamists would impose moral restrictions: banning alcohol and beach bathing (undercutting the tourism industry), imposing a mandatory dress code, and restricting women.
And - although he didn't say it - the threat of new apostasy laws or harsher enforcement of old ones hangs over any moderate Egyptian. These laws make it a crime to criticize, or renounce, Islam. One has only to look at Pakistan, where radical Muslims not only use such laws to persecute Christians but also to muzzle political speech.
