Saudi Arabia considers law against insulting Islam

[DrLeftover]

(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is studying new regulations to criminalise insulting Islam, including in social media, and the law could carry heavy penalties, a Saudi paper said on Sunday.



The potential regulations come five months after a Saudi blogger and columnist Hamza Kashgari, 23, was arrested for tweeting comments deemed as insulting the Prophet Mohammad. Kashgari said there were things he liked and disliked about him.



Within the next two months the Shura Council will reveal the outcome of study on the regulations to combat the criticism of the basic tenets of Islamic sharia, unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter told al-Watan, adding that there could be severe punishments for violators.



...



Kashgari fled the country in February, a few days after his twitter posts, but was later arrested by police in Malaysia en route to New Zealand.

Despite declaring repentance, he was deported back to Saudi Arabia and was taken into police custody to face a trial.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/15/saudi-islam-law-idUSL6E8IF2CY20120715

 

[Fatal Dawn]

I thought apostasy was already integral to Sharia law.

 

[DrLeftover]

It is.



But this legally defines the penalty.