This kind of assault on the freedom of speech would never happen in the free West. If Soheil Arabi insulted Muhammad in the United States, he would just be rebuked for his “bigotry” and “intolerance,” and held up as an example of how racism is still pandemic in American society. There would be head-shaking articles in Salon and the Huffington Post about how “Islamophobia” was on the rise. He would be condemned as a neocon, Zionist agent of U.S. imperialism.
But we wouldn’t sentence him to death. We believe in the freedom of speech!
“Death Sentence Upheld For Iranian Internet Activist,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, November 25, 2014:
Iranian opposition websites are reporting that an appeal court in Iran has confirmed the death sentence for an Internet activist who allegedly insulted Prophet Muhammad.
Soheil Arabi was reportedly arrested last year by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps over his posts on Facebook, where he is said to have been active under different names.
Arabi’s wife, Nastaran Naeimi, has said that printouts of Arabi’s alleged Facebook posts are the only proof that authorities have provided against him.
She said her husband, a photographer by profession, had not personally written some of the posts which served as basis for his conviction.
In recent months, a number of Facebook activists have been sentenced to jail in Iran.
gene says
What did he say? Why are all of these stories so politically correct that they don’t print what the person is accused of saying?
boakai ngombu says
makes one think that what he said about how closely Muhammad (lately contrived; full of lusts) so closely mirrors what the intent of the “noble” Koran (eternal thoughts and opinions of the Allah god of Islam) seems to be, which might have caused concern. like…
thief, rapist, murder , ad infinitem
gravenimage says
“What did he say”? In Muslim countries, this rarely comes out, because to enunciate exactly what was said would be to “insult” the “Prophet” all over again.
But on a certain level, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter in Dar-al-Islam, because there is no objective yardstick for these prosecutions, because this is not an objective crime. Moreover, “blasphemy” laws often level completely trumped up charges at those they want to punish for what ever reason—the victims are Infidels, or other-sect Muslims, or the “insufficiently Islamic”.
And it should not matter to us, either—because no “insult” to a possibly mythical figure should be a crime—let alone a capital one.
There is no justice under Shari’ah.
R Cole says
But interesting how closely the sentiment expressed – by those who claim to support of Islam – mirrors the laws and punishments given in places like Saudi Arabia and Iran.
And how many calls have been made – even as far as changing the Constitution – to restrict speech and expression around Islam.
Indeed a significant number of those listed as ‘Islamophobes’ in the west are apostates from Islam. [An indication of the term’s real definition and intended target.]
All shows a pattern emerging that is in lockstep – with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Bad Law
And perfectly in line with the case for the same Sharia law in the west.
Say we are dreaming!
::
In fact when a Saudi Twitter’ was extradited from Malaysia for criticizing Islam and the Prophet – one Leftist UK commentator – remarked that there should not be an excuse to write this sort of thing or something to the effect that making the comment was the wrong thing to do — but that the man should not be jailed. {Remember this man was accused of offending his own religion.}
Just an example of just how far away from our ideals we have come.
Not in my name!!
Salah says
Muslims are living in a huge prison called Islam. They live in constant fear, even in the West. They fear their relatives, they fear their fellow Muslims and they fear the PC leaders of the “free” world. Muslims are the first victims of Islam.
Our PC leaders in the West are in bed with the enemy (theirs and ours.) They must go or we perish.
Dave J says
Our right to free speech is under attack and it’s protection is paper thin. The United Nations has been batting around various resolutions forbidding “defamation of religion” since 1999. So far it has been beaten back, but for how much longer?
Look what has already happened to Mark Steyn, Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer and many others. In Britain it is effectively law that you must tolerate the open intolerance of others or risk being arrested. The chilling effect of Muslim riots and lawsuits over the publishing of cartoons and books cannot be ignored.
Maybe its time for an Infidels Union to protect the rights of non-Muslims. Once the population rises over 5% the demands escalate and it’s lights out for freedom.
s.c. says
The religion of piece sticks again….
profitsbeard says
Maybe he was just quoting from Voltaire’s play “Muhammad- or Fanaticism”?
Which no Western theater would dare stage.
Or perhaps he asked the salient question which Salman Rushdie voiced in his novel “The Satanic Verses”:VIZ~ IF Mohammad could ADMIT TO BEING DECEIVED by Satan once, why not twice? Or perhaps Satan dictated the entire Koran…except for the so-called “Satanic” verses, ironically.
Any religion craven enough to need to kill people to keep its believers in line IS demonic.
Mohammad started a Death Cult.
Just because a billion people are intimidated enough by its homicidal insanity to remain under its terrorizing thumb is no recommendation of its worth, but a demonstration of its worthlessness.
Mirren10 says
”Just because a billion people are intimidated enough by its homicidal insanity to remain under its terrorizing thumb is no recommendation of its worth, but a demonstration of its worthlessness.”
Excellent point, profitsbeard, and one I shall use the next time some mohammedan blathers about islam being ”the fastest growing religion”. Argumentum ad populum. What utter crap.
sszorin says
What exactly is this offending comment ? Is it really offending and was it really said ? What is the point of writing about the whole affair when we have no opportunity to verify the claims of somebody “insulting prophet Muhammad” ? The journalists who refuse to give details of the alleged insult are working for the Iranian authorities and should be prosecuted.