Malaysia deports journalist #HamzaKashgari back to Saudi for possible #Twitter joke/apostasy trial

BBC News – Malaysia deports Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari.

Malaysian authorities have deported a Saudi journalist accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a tweet.

Police confirmed to the BBC that Hamza Kashgari was sent back to Saudi Arabia on Sunday despite protests from human rights groups.

Mr Kashgari’s controversial tweet last week sparked more than 30,000 responses and several death threats.

Insulting the prophet is considered blasphemous in Islam and is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Kashgari, 23, fled Saudi Arabia last week and was detained upon his arrival in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

He had tweeted his doubts about Muhammad on the prophet’s birthday last week. Saudi clerics condemned his remarks as blasphemous.

Amnesty International has warned that Mr Kashgari could be executed in Saudi Arabia if he is found guilty of apostasy.

“If the Malaysian authorities hand over Hamza Kashgari to Saudi Arabia, they could end up complicit in any violations he suffers,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui of Amnesty’s Middle East division.

Of course we would never do that here; in the UK we inviolably worship bureaucracy.

Comments

One response to “Malaysia deports journalist #HamzaKashgari back to Saudi for possible #Twitter joke/apostasy trial”

  1. Wikipedia page for details:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamza_Kashgari

    The offending tweets:

    *On your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you’ve always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you.

    * On your birthday, I find you wherever I turn. I will say that I have loved aspects of you, hated others, and could not understand many more.

    * On your birthday, I shall not bow to you. I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak to you as a friend, no more.

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