Friday, November 12, 2010

Walid Husayin, Atheist Son of Muslim Scholar, Faces Life in Prison for Insulting Islam

But it's racist and Islamophobic to defend freedom of speech by taking a stand against Sharia.

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." (Read more)

7 comments:

GreekAsianPanda said...

It's sad that he has turned to atheism. Let's pray that he somehow gains freedom and doesn't end up being killed for apostasy. Also, let's pray that he comes to know the True God and the Messiah!

Rod Langlands said...

Once again Islam and its hard core adherents show what a peace loving belief system it is. Burn him alive for thinking and saying things you don't agree with. Put him in goal for the rest of his miserable life.
Yet another death cult, same as Christianity and Judaism. Time to join the modern world people.
The really interesting thing here is that he was getting away with pretending to believe all the nonsense for years. Just think how many more of you are doing the same thing - just pretending. And doing it mostly out of fear. What a wonderful motivation for belief!

Radical Moderate said...

WOW, Facebook bans me for "Everybody draw a picture of Mohamed day". I wonder if they will ban Hamas and Fatah.

hugh watt said...

Rod:

2 Q's. What do you believe?

How are Judaism and +ianity death cults?

goethechosemercy said...

This man deserves the status of refugee and to be settled in the tolerant West.

Anthony Rogers said...

She doesn't look very comfortable to me.

Fordi said...

If you have to kill or imprison a man because you cannot stand the things he has said, you are a child.

If your faith cannot stand up to criticism, it is pathetic.

If you use force to silence others, you are a tyrant.

And the more you demonstrate that you are a childish tyrant, the more justified others are in preventing your abuses of human rights.