After being deported from Malaysia back to Saudi Arabia for a series of poetic tweets, 23-year-old Hamza Kashgari has been detained in Saudi Arabia. And according to the Arabic daily, Al Hayat, he is not the only tweeter who could face the same fate.
Charges of blasphemy are being brought against Kashgari, which could be accompanied by the death sentence, and Jeddah’s public prosecutor has reportedly said that he plans to bring similar charges against Saudis on Twitter who supported or encouraged Kashgari’s stance.
According to Gulf News, however, there is a differentiation to be made. The Middle East daily quotes lawyer Khalid Abu Rashid as saying, “If the support was for general principles like freedom of expression, then this is a different matter, but if the support was for the attacks on Allah and His Prophet, then the supporters should be tried for apostasy.”
It is unclear, however, where the line would be drawn in terms of supportive tweets, and whether only those explicitly stating that they don’t agree with Kashgari’s point of view would be spared.
Malaysia has come under harsh attack for its move to deport Kashgari, despite lawyers obtaining an injunction. Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is standing by his decision, and at a press conference said, “I will not allow Malaysia to be seen as a safe country for terrorists and those who are wanted by their countries of origin, and also be seen as a transit county.”
He also denied receiving the injunction that Lawyers for Liberty obtained, although it is not clear whether Kashgari was still in the country when it was issued.
The Malaysian lawyers have not given up on the case, despite the fact that Kashgari’s fate is very much out of their hands now. In a public statement, they said “Lawyers for Liberty will continue to campaign for Hamza’s release and have filed a habeas corpus application today to seek among others, a declaration that Hamza’s arrest and detention were unlawful.” The case has been adjourned until February 22.


















Global world doesn't mean global laws or global code of ethics. Prostitution is a right in Amsterdam, a crime in Seattle. Respect others' laws and point of view. Your point of view is not necessarily the correct one, it's just YOUR point of view.
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Likeazure I fail to see the comparison between freedom of speech and prostitution, the latter of which doesn't carry the death sentence by the way.
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LikeNancy Messieh
Freedom of speech cost Helen Thomas her job and her reputation and her legacy, in our "free country".
Words make people die for others. Many fights and murders were triggered by words.
A word is a way of an action.
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Likeazure Respect other's point of view, sure, but laws? decide for yourself what is right and wrong and do not respect that which is wrong.
If law was just a point of view, it shouldn't be applied to any who did not make it themselves. ;-)
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Likeimma "What is right and what is wrong" is still a personal point of view. So it's the same. ;-)
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Likeazure Why do you think an entire international organization founded to promote human rights (the human rights watch) so greatly opposes this?
Should the Nazi's have been respected because it was their belief that Jews should be murdered? Sorry man, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
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Likeazure o...k. so it's my point of view and you'll respect it?
/me looks confused.
... because my point of view is that "points of view don't deserve respect generically" so are you suggesting I should not have that point of view or do you think it is valid? (or do you think it is wrong, but that i am welcome to keep my views as long as they are enacted in only reasonable ways?)
I think this is particularly appropriate when points of view are forced on others - and hope i don't force mine on them.
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