Saudi Activist Receives 7-year Sentence, 600 lashes for Insulting Islam

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received a sentence of 7 years in prison and 600 lashes for daring to state in a blog that he thought Christians, Jews, Muslims and Athiests are all equal; he pressed 'like' on facebook on a website for Arab Chrisitans; he said that there should be open dialog about the differences between popular religion and political religion; and he was critical of certain religious figures in Saudi Arabia. That's the 'evidence'. According to the Saudi courts, those things are so bad that he deserves 600 lashes and 7 years in prison.

CNN - Saudi activist receives 7-year sentence, 600 lashes for insulting Islam

A Saudi court has sentenced a activist to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for violating the nation's anti-cybercrime law, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday.

A Jeddah Criminal Court found Raif Badawi, who has been in prison since June 2012, guilty this week of insulting Islam through his website and in television comments

"This incredibly harsh sentence for a peaceful blogger makes a mockery of Saudi Arabia's claims that it supports reform and religious dialogue," said Nadim Houry, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "A man who wanted to discuss religion has already been locked up for a year and now faces 600 lashes and seven years in prison."

What did he say that was supposedly so bad as to find him in need of 600 lashes and 7 years in prison? The website was ordered shut down so we don't have the exact quotes but ...

Part of prosecutors' evidence consisted in postings by Badawi and anonymous members of his site critical of senior Saudi religious figures, HRW reported. Al-Barrak reportedly claimed Badawi was guilty of saying "that Muslims, Jews, Christians, and atheists are all equal".

BBC News

The evidence against him included the fact that he pressed the "Like" button on a Facebook page for Arab Christians.

NL Aid Org

According to media reports Court documents show the evidence against Badawi includes a post on the website that asks, “is God unjust?”, sarcastic remarks about the Saudi religious police and a senior scholar, and a post that asks, “why is Saudi’s Grand Mufti blind?” The prosecution’s evidence includes five website postings by Badawi and anonymous website members critical of Saudi religious authorities and two postings regarding theological questions, the charge sheet says. On the website, Badawi and others had declared May 7 a day for Saudi liberals, hoping to garner interest in open discussion about the differences between popular religion and politicized religion, said Su’ad al-Shammari, secretary general of the website.

From Wikipedia

Human Rights Watch called for the government to drop the charges, stating, "The charges against him, based solely to Badawi's involvement in setting up a website for peaceful discussion about religion and religious figures, violate his right to freedom of expression".

HIS TWITTER FEED
I can't read most of it. Notice his family ... they are living in fear in a foreign country and don't dare travel to be with him.

This man is a martyr for peace and advancement of humanity. I'm sure he understood the risks and the danger he was putting himself in when he dared to be civilized and dare to say that all people are equal no matter their religion, but I still hope that international pressure will help secure his release and secure his getting back with his family safely.

Very troubling.
Thanks for the thread, OP, S/F.
I wonder how much longer it will be "safe" for American citizens to speak up about what we see or learn about happening.

I don't "twit", and I'm not on Facebook -- most days I don't feel that I'm any kind of threat - just an "armchair warrior" shooting off my mouth. But some days, I am uncertain about just how far our own overlords will go...and how soon.

it dismays me that in this day and age of "enlightenment" this kind of thing not only still happens, but whole nations get away with it. i'd be surprised if he survived 600 lashes. this is just inhumane and wrong.

Pending the target of the criticism, specifically, if it was with regards to major religious and/or state figure, I am not surprised that this occurred. Saudi Arabia is known to have a zero tolerance on issues including criticism involving political and religious figures, as well as religion itself.

Remember, this country still enforces a strict dress code, zero alcohol, sex segregation and much more.

Its a different culture with different rules.

I wont go further to comment on the validity or morality of this, but I will say that from my perspective and from my opinion this is shocking and unwarranted.

More incontrovertible proof Islam is a religion of negativity. !

That should be 7 years if he survives the 600 lashes IMO....Unless they have changed the lashing procedures and equipment used, I do not see him surviving. At least he did not get his head cut off like the Saudi Princess back in the ?80s?...Wonderful place I never want to go back to.
en.wikipedia.org...
The use of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is based on Sharia (or Islamic law) and is prominent internationally because of the wide range of crimes which can result in the death penalty and because it is usually carried out by public beheading. In 2011, the Saudi government reported 26 executions in the country.[1]Foreigners are not exempt.

Unlike executions in most other countries that have not abolished the death penalty, Saudi Arabia performs public executions in central Riyadh, instead of privately executing criminals in prisons. It is one of the last five countries to still carry out public executions, the other four being Iran, Syria, North Korea, and Yemen.

The use of public beheading or stoning as the methods of capital punishment and the number of executions have attracted strong international criticism.[19] Several executions, particularly of foreign workers have sparked international outcries. In June 2011 Ruyati binti Satubi, an Indonesian maid, was beheaded for killing her employer's wife, reportedly after years of abuse.[20][21] A video of the execution, posted online, drew extensive criticism.[22] In September 2011, a Sudanese migrant worker was beheaded for "sorcery",[23] an execution which Amnesty International condemned as "appalling".[24] In January 2013 a Sri Lankan maid named Rizana Nafeek was beheaded after she was convicted of murdering a child under her care, an occurrence which she attributed to the infant choking. The execution drew international condemnation of the government's practises,[25] and led Sri Lanka to recall its ambassador.[26] These are not isolated cases. According to figures by Amnesty International, in 2010 at least 27 migrant workers were executed and, as of January 2013, more than 45 foreign maids were on death row awaiting execution.


The physical punishments imposed by Saudi courts, such as beheading, stoning, amputation and lashing, and the number of executions have been strongly criticized.[127] The death penalty can be imposed for a wide range of offences including murder, rape, armed robbery, repeated drug use, apostasy, adultery, witchcraft and sorcery and can be carried out by beheading with a sword, stoning or firing squad, followed by crucifixion.[128][129] The 345 reported executions between 2007 and 2010 were all carried out by public beheading. The last reported execution for sorcery took place in June 2012[130] and three recent convictions for witchcraft did not result in execution.

Although repeated theft can be punishable by amputation of the right hand, only one instance of judicial amputation was reported between 2007 and 2010. Gay rights are not recognised. Homosexual acts are punishable by flogging or death.[128][131] Lashings are a common form of punishment[132] and are often imposed for offences against religion and public morality such as drinking alcohol and neglect of prayer and fasting obligations.[128]

Retaliatory punishments, or Qisas, are practised: for instance, an eye can be surgically removed at the insistence of a victim who lost his own eye.[122] Families of someone unlawfully killed can choose between demanding the death penalty or granting clemency in return for a payment of diyya, or blood money, by the perpetrator.
Australian Man 500 Lashes Saudi Arabia

Punishment of 20 lashes for Drinking Beer....... do not watch if you are squemish

Originally posted by ladyteeny
i'd be surprised if he survived 600 lashes.

That was my first thought as well. That's why I referred to him as a martyr. A martyr for civilized society ... understanding ... tolerance .... enlightenment. I can't see how anyone could survive 600 lashes. He's a brave man for speaking truth in a country that is ruled by darkness. I admire him a great deal.

It's just one punch after another in this world. The only 'faith' I would ever hope to hold is one in humanity, but how can you reconcile this exasperating sentence? How can you not feel angry when such trampling of human rights occurs? I don't care for cultural differences, or the ridiculousness of laws that criminalise triviality. I'm not in Raif's position, but I could weep for him.

Saudi Arabia is barbaric and medieval, and our various armed forces are protecting it. You couldn't make this stuff up!

Originally posted by AthlonSavage
More incontrovertible proof Islam is a religion of negativity. !

No, its just more incontrovertible proof that the wahabbi royal perversion of Islam represents brutal tyranny. And isn't it funny that for some reason the US government prefers this perversion to genuine Islamic beliefs, like this man sentenced to a beating for standing up to tyranny.

Of course "our" government isn't real big on genuine Christian beliefs, either. Its just lucky for American Christians that they've been so carefully taught to turn the other cheek and give unto Caesar that they wouldn't ever need to have any wayward ideals of justice beaten out of them.

At least he did not get his head cut off like the Saudi Princess back in the ?80s?...Wonderful place I never want to go back to.

At least the beheading is quick. I think I'd pick it over the 600 lashes. No way will he survive that. (and it will be a slow, painful death)...

Lived over there myself for a bit, like the above poster mentioned, some very barbaric laws and punishments still in place. Speaking out is one thing, but in such a setting? It's suicide.

Wait until you get out, THEN start the berating....

violate his right to freedom of expression

Who said he had such a right in Saudi Arabia? Morons....

Actually went to a beheading once. Couldn't see much though. I just saw the glint off the sword (yes, they used a big curved sword, kind of like the ones on their flag....)

Originally posted by Gazrok
Actually went to a beheading once. Couldn't see much though. I just saw the glint off the sword (yes, they used a big curved sword, kind of like the ones on their flag....)

YIKES. That kind of brings it home, doesn't it? Saudi Arabia is a backwards place.
And very, very dangerous. Which makes this fella all the braver and more heroic in my eyes.

Originally posted by AthlonSavage
More incontrovertible proof Islam is a religion of negativity. !

BS.

A Saudi Prince known as Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud has decided to leave the royal family, saying the regime does not consider God’s rules.

On Saturday, Khalid Bin Farhan said “With pride, I announce my defection from al-Saudi family in Saudi Arabia… This regime in Saudi Arabia does not stand by God’s rules or even [the country’s] established rules and its policies, decisions and actions are totally based on [the] personal will of its leaders.

He also slammed the royal family as well as the leaders in the kingdom, saying “All that is said in Saudi Arabia about respecting law and religion rules is factitious, so that they can lie and pretend that the regime obeys Islamic rules.”

The prince went on to say that the royal family has rejected all calls for reform by people’s representatives and used violence as well as suppression against them.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, mainly its Eastern Province, has been witnessing anti-regime protests on an almost daily basis since February 2011. The primary demands of the protesters were the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations turned into protests against the repressive Al Saud regime, especially after November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province.

Link

Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship ruled by the royal family..
AS you can see, people of Saudi Arabia,MUSLIMS, have tried to rise up against the regime.
This brave blogger is also a Muslim

This sentence is another perverted joke by the devils who run that country.

These arab leaders seem to have archaic ideals & practices. Is Islam truly such an oppressive & regressive religion? It seems to me that it must be a very difficult set of rules to live by. Certainly not what I would choose.
I am sorry for this guy & admire his courage. Good luck to the brave people who will eventually stand up to these barbaric tyrants of the sands.

The question is, without bombing and wars, which is hellzone stuff, how do we stop this kind of thing. Because the world cannot live with this happening to others. Everyone on earth needs to stand still and make this stop somehow, there, and anywhere where children can't grow up safe.

I think that people should realize that Islam is really more of an anti-religion, where certain people give themselves majestic sounding titles and play God by judging others.
That goes for any religion, Judaism and Christianity too, when they exalt their leaders and worship them in a form of idolatry.
Doctors of theology who sit around reading holy scriptures are not any better than anyone else.

Originally posted by Unity_99
The question is, without bombing and wars, which is hellzone stuff, how do we stop this kind of thing. Because the world cannot live with this happening to others. Everyone on earth needs to stand still and make this stop somehow, there, and anywhere where children can't grow up safe.

I hate to say it, but the world has been surviving day in and day out with far far worse than this happening for at least a few thousand years now. World wide? Someone is having something in the 'worst scenario' category done to them pretty much every day. How often each day, somewhere?

I love the peace for all mankind approach, but mankind simply doesn't want or even particularly like peace. Some nations do ...but mankind overall? We've been fighting since cavemen walloped each other over who got the last Saber tooth steak. It's humanity and it's a 100% fatal condition for everyone who dares attempt it.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


It's in mans nature to fight and to try to gain power. And claiming religious superiority is a way to gain power over uneducated and/or superstitious peasants. It's been used for thousands of years. People claim visions or orders from God all the while saying that if the peasants don't buy into it then they are bad for the others, so the others marginalize the disbelievers and/or kill them.

It's easy for us on the outside to see it.
Too bad those subjected to this kind of baloney can't see through it.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Yes, and the US government supports this theocratic monarchy. And actually all 'Murikens who insist on driving their cars everywhere and having their NASCAR races and having their military tear-butt all over the world are also supporting this country.

Back during the Bush II regime, not long after 9/11, there were these bogus government anti-drug PSAs about how illegal recreational drug users were supporting terrorism, when in fact it is legal petroleum consumers who are funding terrorism through their buying of petroleum, which finances the extremist Wahabi sect of Islam based in Saudi Arabia, and has long been exported to places like Pakistan and Afghanistan. If the Saudi Royal family wasn't rolling in billion of petrol dollars, this wouldn't be happening.

The Islamophobes like to go on and on about radical Islam and cite Iran as the big Islamic boogeyman, when in fact it is Saudi Arabia that is the big problem. Yet Saudi Arabia is an "ally" and we pay billions for their oil. Talk about the cognitive dissonance of 'Murikens.

Originally posted by Unity_99
The question is, without bombing and wars, which is hellzone stuff, how do we stop this kind of thing. Because the world cannot live with this happening to others. Everyone on earth needs to stand still and make this stop somehow, there, and anywhere where children can't grow up safe.

The first thing to do is for the US to go into rehab for its petroleum addiction. The US needs to be investing massively into alternative AND renewable energy sources. If we develop this technology, it will put many Americans back to work. We will be able to sell this technology to other countries, AND this technology will help to make all countries energy self-sufficient, so that we can tell Saudi Arabia to pound it in the sand. Once the US is no longer supporting the corrupt, despotic, theocratic monarchy there both financially and militarily, the Saudi monarchy will fall.

The problem is that for decades the US has been propping up Arab and/or Muslim dictatorships that have oppressed secular political groups. Hence the only political groups that have been allowed have been ones with strong Islamic religious ties. Iran had a democratic, socialist government that was overthrown in a US/UK sponsored coup in 1953, and a very despotic ruler, the Shah, was installed. The only place any political dissent could exist was within the Mosques, as the government dared not suppress religion as well. It's called blow back, people.

'Murikens like to talk about how backwards the middle eastern countries are, yet they refuse to acknowledge or are ignorant of the fact that the US has helped to keep the populaces of these countries backwards by their support of dictators who did our bidding.

Even today we are using drones in Yemen to back a corrupt and despotic government fight rebels. In Bahrain we also support another dictator who keeps the majority of his people very poor and under educated; in this Shia majority country, it is Sufis/Wahabis who rule.

This is really disturbing, and very primitive. It is unbelievable that those medieval practice still exist in world, and are extreme such as those in Saudi Arabia.

This has nothing to to with faith, religion, this is simple mater of control of mind of population for ruling family to stay on power. Scare all others by examples like this - only reason why all those punishments are preformed still publicly.

People will oblige for long, but there will be turning point where all this might escape their control and backslash on them...

Hope not many innocent people such as this boy who dared to say that all religious and non-believers are the same. (that is offense in Islam, as Islam takes Atheists as enemy)

Wahhabi are completely different problem, and all it source is SA. In short, they like to move us back to time of Mohamed and laws of that time...