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Journalist Arrested By Interpol For Tweet
New submitter StarWreck writes "Police in Kuala Lumpur detained Hamza Kashgari, 23, 'following a request made to us by Interpol' on behalf of the Saudi authorities. Kashgari, a newspaper columnist, fled Saudi Arabia after posting a tweet which read: 'I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don't understand about you I will not pray for you.' Said tweet sparked outrage in Saudi Arabia and resulted in multiple death threats. Kashgari faces the death penalty in Saudi Arabia."
Can someone enlighten me, please?
And it's not just those backwards fools everyone in the middle east talks about. There are upstanding, progressive regimes in Europe where there are literally things you can say that don't involve a threat of violence or which won't cause immediate danger to those around you ("I'm going to kill you!" or "Fire!") which are still considered illegal.
It's cute because these same nations are held up by many as paragons of virtue in terms of human rights, health care, standard of living, etc... Just don't voice an illegal opinion and you'll be fine, that's all.
The US Demanded that Interpol Arrest all the millions of citizens of the world who have at some time or another demanded 'Death to the US'. They even cited a number of people who led the demonstrations against the Vietnam war in the late 1960's.
Ok, so I'm joking but it shows how absurd this is.
I'll be waiting for a knock at the door and my speedy extradition to the USA where no doubt I'll get 999 years in Jail for daring to criticise the USofA.
I don't buy it that interpol can get out of it's part of this by saying that they "don't judge the merits of the warrants". They played a part in this and they need to be held to account. Turning a blind eye whilst helping such a cause holds as much water as "I was only following orders".
Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
The fact Saudi Arabia has an inhumane legal system is widely known and as long as we want their oil it is not likely to change, but Interpol has done something against the moral values enshrined in their own constitution and the persons responsible should be challenged.
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
I'm just gonna say it right out. Fuck Muhammad and Islam, Fuck Jesus and Christianity and Fuck you and all religions where you have to pray to show devotion and destroy your enemies. Got to love this world. One one side you're getting fucked by your government, right next to it you are getting fucked by corporation and right next to that you're a target some some fucking religious freaks that instead of keeping away from you and minding their own business are trying to enslave or kill you.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
As unpleasant as it is for both you and him, social change is not made by people who muddle quietly along the mainstream. Progress is only made by people who test the edge of acceptable behavior.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
A French-Armenian architect who had worked for years in KSA was once asked what he thought of that country. His response: 'Money can buy anything! Except civilization.'
I'm sure he'll enjoy his hearing where he knows that a bad outcome there will lead to near certain death. That sounds harmful.
Unlike the home owner in your example, Interpol is in no danger whatsoever of finding itself and it's family replacing the guy it helps if caught. I would argue that the homeowner that refuses to help even if he can do so with no consequences to himself IS actually complicit. Several states in the U.S. have laws consistent with that view where failing to render aid where the victim's life is at stake where one may safely do so is in itself a crime.
Meanwhile, in actuality, Interpol in this case is more like the homeowner that says "There they are" when the Nazis come looking for Jews. They did not just passively watch when evil took place, the actively played a part in facilitating it.
and as long as we want their oil it is not likely to change
Oil doesn't change human nature. It's not a magical substance that makes people evil. Nor is the Saudia Arabian government unusually bad in some way. It'd be considered an enlightened and open government for the 16th century. But as you have no doubt noticed, it's no longer the 16th century. What has changed is our expectations from government.
If God can be damaged by words, then God cannot be all powerful. If a Muslim's faith can be shaken by words, does the Muslim really have any faith at all?
You expect religious types to be rational?
As for Interpol, it is my understanding that all they do is process the warrants. They only check that it's got the right signatures on it, and leave the countries to work out whether it should go through or not and that it gets to the right parts of the government. Kinda like ISPs arguing they have common carrier status.
The problem with this statement is very simple. If you actually implement this, you are basically making it impossible for muslims to live their religion. It is how their culture works and self-polices. Cut this out, and you destroy it.
Additionally, this is no joke. Saudis and a lot of muslims will scream (quite literally sometimes) about racism if you criticise their attitude towards "hate speech" (executing anyone they perceive as insulting, and there's plenty of example where the person didn't even say anything, it was just "generally thought" (sometimes because of lying) that he said/did/... something). Reading the actual primary sources of the religion, it's plain and obvious that this is how islam works, and they're vastly more flexible than the muslim example. The prophet had people buried in sand in the desert to watch them die for criticizing him.
Cutting out this means flat out declaring the central figure of islam to be an inhuman moronic, cruel paedophilic bastard.
Of course, that's exactly what he was.
Until we face this reality, and force muslims to accept people saying this everywhere on this world, this won't end.
Some religions are worse than others. Pacifists generally don't run about murdering people. "Moderate" members of most mainstream religions don't generally murder people for saying they have silly beliefs.
But all religions promote irrational belief without any supporting evidence. All religions promote adhering to some beliefs no matter how barbaric, and then acting on those beliefs. All religions make it a virtue to ignore evidence, and promote stubborn pig headedness.
Anarchists never rule
As an atheist, my list of "do not visit" countries is getting longer and longer.
When the fuck are we humans going to make it properly out of the dark ages?
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