Muslim Man Faces Life In Prison For ''Insulting The Divine Essence''

[DeSwiss]

Walid Husayin, Palestinian Facebook Islam Criticizer, Held After Sting

Huffington Post | DIAA HADID | 11/12/10 04:31 AM | AP

QALQILIYA, West Bank— A mysterious blogger who set off an uproar in the Arab world by claiming he was God and hurling insults at the Prophet Muhammad is now behind bars – caught in a sting that used Facebook to track him down. The case of the unlikely apostate, a shy barber from this backwater West Bank town, is highlighting the limits of tolerance in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority – and illustrating a new trend by authorities in the Arab world to mine social media for evidence.

Residents of Qalqiliya say they had no idea that Walid Husayin – the 26-year-old son of a Muslim scholar – was leading a double life. Known as a quiet man who prayed with his family each Friday and spent his evenings working in his father's barbershop, Husayin was secretly posting anti-religion rants on the Internet during his free time.

Now, he faces a potential life prison sentence on heresy charges for "insulting the divine essence." Many in this conservative Muslim town say he should be killed for renouncing Islam, and even family members say he should remain behind bars for life. "He should be burned to death," said Abdul-Latif Dahoud, a 35-year-old Qalqiliya resident. The execution should take place in public "to be an example to others," he added.

Over several years, Husayin is suspected of posting arguments in favor of atheism on English and Arabic blogs, where he described the God of Islam as having the attributes of a "primitive Bedouin." He called Islam a "blind faith that grows and takes over people's minds where there is irrationality and ignorance."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/12/walid-husayin-palestinian_n_782746.html">MORE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGXeU0O-2OY&feature=player_embedded">Ex-Muslims Speak Out Against Islam

[skepticscott]

1. I'd have to say that this fellow

has more guts than brains. Not sure how long he thought this was going to fly in that part of the world.

[DeSwiss]

3. The article states.....

...that he'd been doing this "for several years." So I suppose that over time he probably concluded he'd never get caught. And with over 70,000 visitors, many of whom were agitated and calling for his death.... and nothing bad ever happened.... he probably felt as safe as one can be -- living in Palestine.

Which I know ain't saying a lot.....

[maxsolomon]

2. apply for Asylum in W. Europe or the US

the PA will probably boot him to be rid of the bad publicity.

also, he is 100% correct in his criticism.

[DeSwiss]

4. I don't think many (if any) Western European countries.....

...wants to piss-off any Muslims right now.

Of course you're right about his criticisms about Islam. And I have always found it quite funny that the Abrahamic god is so often referred to as omnipotent and yet he seems to require a great number of bodyguards and protectors here on earth to assure proper respect is always being paid to him for his greatness.

[maxsolomon]

10. meh, once he goes to Switzerland they'll forget about him.

at least as long as he doesn't become the new Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

i also think its peculiar how uptight the Abrahamic God is about seeing women's hair, but not men's beard hair. he likes seeing that. i occurs to me to ask: is God a Bear?

[dimbear]

13. I know of whom you should enquire further. Ask

an Ursuline nun.

[ladjf]

5. That's an example of the last stages of religious lunacy. nt

[Bobbieo]

6. Those Fundamentalist Muslims are a blood thirsty group! They sure go for violence

[ladjf]

7. I didn't intend to imply that Muslims were any crazier than other

religions.

[sally cat]

9. You don't have to. We have eyes and brains.

[maxsolomon]

11. Monotheism is demonstrably crazier than Buddhism

but sadly, even Buddhism has its militants...

[DeSwiss]

8. Where the "last stages" of religious lunacy are......

...is always hard to tell.

"Religion is prickly and intolerant. It's ultra-defensive precisely because it's brittle and fragile. It's about as substantial as a meringue. It's all front and no substance. It's had thousands of years to make its case, and all it's produced is sophistry and violence. And a raft of morals that would shame a rattlesnake."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjO4duhMRZk">Pat Condell

[onager]

12. Egypt - blogger Kareem Amer completed blasphemy sentence, still jailed.

Actually WORSE than jailed. Amer is currently being held at at a State Security Intelligence (SSI) detention centre in Alexandria, Egypt.

He might never get out of that place, even though he has completed his 4-year sentence for insulting Islam (and Pres. Mubarak).

I lived in Alexandria from 2005-2009. So I was there when Amer was arrested, and followed his case in the local press.

During his trial, Amer's father testified that he thought his son should get the death penalty for insulting Islam.

IIRC, Amer didn't exactly insult the religion. Certainly not in the way us jolly DU atheists frequently and cheerfully insult all major religions. All Amer did was speculate that the Koran was written by men, not a god, and was as fallible as any other book.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE013722010&lang=e&rss=recentnews

Something to ponder if you ever get in trouble in Egypt - once I was idly wondering about how the Egyptian national conscription scheme worked. I asked an Egyptian friend. He said: "Everyone serves 2 years, usually in the Army. But if you're too stupid for the Army, you get conscripted into the police."

[DeSwiss]

14. I cannot fathom.....

...the kind of mental disease caused by religious indoctrination, which could incite a parent to wish for the death of one of their own children. What is wrong with such a person? How could someone ever come to this point in their lives unless they live in a constant, intractable and unimaginable mental landscape of FEAR?






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XRCYlZ4XOQ&feature=related">The Penalty In Islam For Apostasy Is Death

[dimbear]

15. Compare the enlightened west. No witch has received the death

penalty in a Western European nation since 1802 (Spain) and no witch has even been convicted in England since 1944. In fact England went so far as to repeal the law against witchcraft in 1951.

Even farflung Australia hasn't had a witch trial since the late 1940's. My friends, we are up to snuff.

[DeSwiss]

16. Hooray for us!!!

But enlightened westerners? I dunno.... well, maybe.

- But I'll bet that many a Christian is still burning witches in their hearts......

[ZombieHorde]

17. Frightening. nt

[Evoman]

18. I"blind faith that grows and takes over people's minds where there is irrationality and ignorance."

Sweet irony....the fucking morons make his point. Seriously, how do you go about proving tha islam is NOT what he claims? I guess the best way to show that your religion is not ignorant or irrational is by calling for the death of your son.

[DeSwiss]

20. "Sweet irony....the fucking morons make his point."

And what is worse.... I don't believe that they even realize that they are making his point.

Which is why it never seems to end......

[UndertheOcean]

19. That will be my fate if I ever return to that sordid place

I am just not smart enough , or patient enough to keep my mouth shut !

[DeSwiss]

21. My concern is.....

...that if we don't open our mouths, that sordid place will come to us.