Malaysia arrests Saudi blogger over Prophet insults

Friday, 10 February 2012 10:29 AM

Malaysian police have arrested a Saudi Arabian columnist who fled his country after making comments on Twitter deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), prompting a surge of online outrage and calls for his execution.

"It is confirmed that Malaysian police have detained the Saudi writer. This arrest was part of an Interpol operation which the Malaysian police were a part of," a police spokesman told Reuters on Friday.

He gave no further details and would not comment on whether the writer, Hamza Kashgari, would be extradited to Saudi Arabia, where some Islamic clerics have called for him to be put to death for his comments.

Malaysia is a majority Muslim country with a close affinity with many Middle Eastern nations through their shared religion. The Southeast Asian nation is also a US ally and a leading global voice for moderate Islam, meaning that any decision to extradite Kashgari certain to be controversial.

Blasphemy is a crime punishable by execution under oil-rich Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. It is not a capital crime in Malaysia.

The 23-year-old Kashgari reportedly posted the comments on his Twitter feed to mark the Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) birthday on Saturday, drawing thousands of outraged comments on Twitter and other social networking sites.

Reuters could not verify Kashgari's comments because he later deleted them, but media reported that one them reflected his contradictory views of the Prophet.

Kashgari later said in an interview that he was being made a "scapegoat for a larger conflict" over his comments.

"I view my actions as part of a process toward freedom," Kashgari was quoted as saying in the interview with the Daily Beast website.

"I was demanding my right to practice the most basic human rights - freedom of expression and thought - so nothing was done in vain."

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Posted by: Frank Lampard Monday, 13 February 2012 11:54 AM[UAE] - UK

I'm surprised at all the comments referring to " the age of technology", as if writing something on your own blog exempts you from laws. Blogs and tweets are PUBLIC forums. Therefore there is no differentiation in blogging an insult, or standing on the tallest building and screaming it out. (Not entirely analogous I know, especially as you'll tire from shouting but the blog is permanent until removed). So be careful of what you tweet

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Posted by: T Crowe Semler Monday, 13 February 2012 8:40 AM[UAE] - United States

Honesty and transparency should be rewarded...
We can argue that there is no one in the "human condition", with basic intelligence, that has not question the religious constructs in which they have been raised and the politics surrounding ALL religions...We can not be so thin-skinned and reactionary in this age of hyper-hightech-communications. To condem a young person for expressing or not fully understanding their internal "personal jihad" ...this isn't about "blasphemy" its about understanding its about one's personal path in the life.

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Posted by: SAM Sunday, 12 February 2012 2:57 PM[UAE] - UAE

Now does anyone really care what a nobody says on his blog. The way I see it, this could turn into a win-win situation if people just worry about their own borders and leave Interpol for serious matters.

Posted by: Angelika Sunday, 12 February 2012 4:30 PM[UAE] - UAE

EXACTLY!

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Posted by: mussa Sunday, 12 February 2012 2:56 PM[UAE] - UAE

It looks the Guy is so proud and determine to his action; I wonder then what keeps Malaysia authority from deporting him; back to Saudia to celebrate the win he get for exercising his right of "freedom of speech".
Thank you Sam; you have put it squarely; everything has a limit; and when the limit is not known they say "sky is the limit" hence in reality the concept of "limit" never varnish.

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Posted by: Angelika Saturday, 11 February 2012 12:04 AM[UAE] - UAE

@Sam: I didn't second the deeds of this guy - his future is probably ruined anyway - I was just surprised about this "Interpol alert and operation":-)

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