Saudi Supreme Court upholds guilty verdict against blogger for insulting Islam
In the enlightened West, we don’t jail and flog people for insulting Islam. We believe in the freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas, including the right to criticize ideas one finds wanting in whatever way. In the free and enlightened West, the only thing that will happen to you if you are perceived as insulting Islam will be that you will be excoriated as a racist and a bigot, shunned in all polite company, and if targeted for assassination by Islamic jihadists, blamed for provoking them.
“Saudi Supreme Court upholds verdict against liberal blogger flogged for insulting Islam,”
Associated Press, June 7, 2015:
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has upheld a verdict against a liberal blogger who was flogged in January after being found guilty of insulting Islam and breaking technology laws.
Raif Badawi was sentenced last year to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison. He was banned from traveling abroad for 10 years and fined $266,000.
A person close to the case says the Supreme Court’s decision, announced Sunday, has not made clear whether lashings are part of the final verdict. The person, who spoke anonymously for fear of retribution, says that because Badawi’s flogging has been halted since January, the ruling may exclude public lashings….
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment