When 'insulting the prophet' is a matter of national security
In what country do you believe that 'insulting the prophet' could be a matter of national security? Saudi Arabia? No. Dubai? No. Abu Dhabi? No. Iran? No. Would you believe Kuwait? A Kuwaiti man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after being convicted of endangering state security by insulting the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media.Aren't you glad you don't Tweet from Kuwait? And I'll bet Israel Matzav is blocked there too.
Shi'ite Muslim Hamad al-Naqi pleaded innocent at the start of the trial last month, saying he did not post the messages and that his Twitter account had been hacked.
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The judge found him guilty of insulting the Prophet, the Prophet's wife and companions, mocking Islam, provoking sectarian tensions, insulting the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and misusing his mobile phone to spread the comments.
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The civil plaintiff arguing the case against Naqi, as well as some Kuwaiti politicians, had called for Naqi to be put to death in a high-profile and divisive case that has stoked sectarian tensions in the Gulf state.
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Naqi did not appear in court on Monday. He was in the central prison where he has been held since his arrest in March, the court secretary said. He appeared in previous sessions in a wooden and metal cage, guarded by armed guards in black balaclavas.
Shatti had argued that even if his client had written the remarks, he would be guilty of a "crime of opinion", not of threatening national security. He told the court last week that Naqi was being used as a political tool.
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Kuwait's parliament, where opposition Islamists have grown in influence, endorsed a legal amendment last month that would make insulting God and the Prophet Mohammad by Muslims punishable by death instead of the current maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
Any change in the law has to be approved by Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who can also pardon people convicted of crimes. The government has so far rejected the push to bring in the death penalty, according to Kuwaiti media.
Labels: Islam, Kuwait, Twitter
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:16 PM
2 Comments:
Yet another proof of lack of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in any Islamic country. The seeds of democracy have fallen on very rocky, infertile soil therein.
Excellent. We need more of it. And while they're at is, make education for women illegal and unwind the clock a thousand years.
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