Can a tweet kill? Yes, if you live in Saudi Arabia and have Interpol working for the killers. All a 23-year-old Saudi provincial journalist, Hamza Kashgari, did was tweet last February, on the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. His tweet read: ‘On the day of your birth, I find you wherever I turn. I like some things about you but I have given up others and there’s lots I don’t understand about you.’
By the standards of a Hitchens or a Dawkins, the tweet was not exactly a major profession of atheism. But it was enough for the Saudis to take time off from pouring money into their campaigns to establish Wahhabi Islamism as the norm in Egypt, Tunisia and now Syria to attack the young man. He was banned from his work as a local journalist by the minister of information. The Saudi Islamist preacher Nasser al-Omar went on television to call for the execution of the ‘blasphemer.’ There were tears in his eyes as he announced that Islamism demanded the tweeter be put to death.
The Saudi Council of Fatwas announced the Kashgari was guilty of apostasy – a crime which carried the penalty of beheading by sword carried out by the régime which Britain, the USA and European leaders like Merkozy never dare criticise.
Sensibly enough the young writer withdrew his tweet, apologised in every way he could, and said he would give up tweeting – not that mattered much as the Saudis closed down his Twitter account.
The charge of apostasy was maintained, his home was attacked and, again, sensibly enough, Kashgari decided it was time to leave Saudi Arabia. The response of the Saudis was to approach Interpol and ask them to issue an international search and arrest warrant.
Interpol is meant to be tackle serious crime not act as a little helper for régimes that want to kill journalists. Kashgari headed for New Zealand hoping to win asylum status there. New Zealand is about as far away as you can get from Saudi Arabia and does not have the constant press and political attacks on political refugees and human rights that many other democracies now are infected by. But he was detained in Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur airport. Despite appeals to the Malaysian government, this nominally democratic Commonwealth country decided to kow-tow to the Saudis and sent Kashgari home. Malaysia has no extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia and was under no legal obligation to send him back. But as in so many other Commonwealth nations the notion of human rights is extremely limited.
Now the world waits to see his fate. Pressure is important. This time last year the Egyptian military police arrested an Egyptian blogger, Maikel Nabil. He was jubilant about the fall of Mubarak but as he saw the increasing role of the military he criticised the soldiers. A military tribunal sentenced him to three years in prison but an effective international campaign got under way and on Saturday I got a letter from the Egyptian ambassador announcing that Nabil has been freed and pardoned.
So once again it is time to write to the Saudi ambassador and to William Hague so that our ambassador in Riyadh can make protest. The Commonwealth secretary-general should get involved too as it is to Malaysia’s shame that they send this harmless young man to the possibility of a dusty public square and the executioner’s sword. The home secretary too should ask why Interpol is acting as an agent for the most bloodthirsty and cruel of régimes. Might Twitter pay for his legal defence? And when one of our royals takes tea with one of their royals perhaps a few whispered words might be muttered about why, in the 21st century, royals – Muslim, Christian, whatever – should not chop off heads because of a tweet.
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Denis MacShane is MP for Rotherham and a former foreign office minister
No Warsi you are wrong ,you can talk about “foundations” OR “evolution ” . You say we must not “eradicate spires from our landscapes”, people must not “dilute their faith”( bet you can’t even define that word, faith, can you or God for that matter !) people must not “deny religious heritage” and succumb to “militant secularisation”
Well righty ho, you’ve made all that pretty clear mum ! And now for the modern world ,where people think for themselves and discover a moral behaviour from a contemplative prospect of the pros and cons of our short time here on this planet . Science now delivers a hint of an infinity of universes/realities of which the
continual becoming of our own is only one,this indeed has echoes of ancient mystical intuitions and most quite ordinary people, on making a pragmatic survey pretty much arrive at the same conclusion. A quick route to oneness with and acceptance of our human situation so we can get on, is yes, this “belief in God”,which I can understand and respect. But now we get to this “practice of “,here of course as we are all only too sadly aware
the cultural and political manipulation,by men mostly ,of these deep concerns ,from the fight for control of
land to the oppression of women and so on,and all the blood and cruelty in history as well , only dishonour the principle. A one God shop I would like to see, because that is the only true division, those who say yes I believe in God and those who say oh ,I dunno. The Church of England “evolved” out of Catholicism, perhaps the state should now step up with something new? Yes indeed ‘they’ say Christianity came into the world to help alleviate cruelty ,and the “teachings” most particularly the Sermon on the Mount are a model to be proud of. But-for those of us for whom dogma is a no go zone and the “evolution” of Christianity an elaborate metaphor-well you know ,one metaphor is as good as another so long as its a good one,baby
From the UN declaration of Human Rights: Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
freedom of thought – here’s a thought, God is Love.
telegraph-warsi-secularisation-totalitarianism ; NOT ; quite the opposite infact du jour ! smacked hand telegraph trying to link the two (OK China maaaaaaaaybe) now go to the naughty corner and wash your brains out.
1. Ambiguity in the last line. In the context, I would have said “should chop off”.
2. Second last line. I think it is a smear on Christianity to imply that Christian monarchs chop off heads. They stopped doing that long ago and I am not aware that any still have the power.
Warsi and her crew or as the telegraph call it, The British Government, plan to ” work together” over the coming years – of ” sacrifice and effort” ! what are they going to do, pray for reign. No I’m sorry but this is very worrying indeed, that they imagine ‘people , now in their hardship must simply accept ,submit, carry their burden ,no no ,it all smacks too much of salve to oppression . Genuine faith – no problem , genuine cultural expression – no problem ; guilt trip – leave it out John. And apart from the benefits of leaning on faith in stressful times of hardship we do hope they will discuss paedophilia amongst priests and of course contraception ?
“……..all faiths……..” Well said your Majesty !
“……..all faiths……..” Well said your Majesty !