The official Kuwait News agency says:Police authorities yesterday arrested tweeter Hamad Al-Naqi and charged him with insulting the Prophet (PBUH), his wife Ayesha and his companions. But Naqi categorically denied the charges, alleging that his account has been hacked for some time and “there is no way for me to insult the prophet and his companions”. Dozens of citizens gathered in front of State Security department to protest the insults against the Prophet (PBUH) and demanded maximum punishment against the culprit.
Protesters demanding tweeter's arrest. Yes, really.
Qallaf said “insulting the prophet (PBUH), Ayesha and companions is totally unacceptable,” adding “I learned that the account of tweeter Hamad Al-Naqi is hacked and I hope to check on that to avoid further problems”. Fellow Shiite MP Adnan Abdulsamad asked the interior minister to quickly take legal action against the real criminal who insulted the Prophet (PBUH). He said it is necessary to make sure the true culprit stands trial as he wanted to spread strife in the society, bur warned “those who accuse the innocent without evidence should be held to account”.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior ... regretted the abusing of the social networks by some individuals to offend the basic Islamic and spiritual values, vowing to show zero tolerance in combating such serious offences.Gulf Times adds:
Initial reports said that Hamad Al Naqi denied he had posted disparaging remarks on his account and said that it had been hacked for some time.Supporting your relatives can get you killed.
However, reports early this morning said that Al Naqi admitted that he had posted the disparaging tweets and that his account had not been hacked.
According to news site Sabr, the tweeter's family issued a statement in which they distanced themselves from his action.
But that was not the only blasphemous tweet story of the week. Another man in Saudi Arabiaesides the tweeter arrested last month, has been accused of blasphemy:
An Arab man in Saudi Arabia is accused of offending Islam and its Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) in remarks on his Twitter page, the second man to be charged with apostasy in the Gulf Kingdom.
Hundreds of Twitter users joined hands in demanding the arrest of Mohammed Salama on apostasy charges as was the case of Hamza Kashgari who is in jail for offending the Prophet (PBUH) in comments on his Twitter page.
“Mohammed Salama has followed the same path followed by Hamza Kashgari,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Sabq said without specifying his nationality.
It said Salama had just cancelled his page from Twitter for fear of arrest but added he had been sacked from work at a dairy company in Saudi Arabia.
The paper, which carried part of Salama’s remarks, said he claimed the Prophet (pbuh) had once tried to commit a suicide because he doubted the Koran.
It also quoted Salama as saying on Twitter : “If God gives chances but does not forget, then why He forgot Israel and did not give chances to Gaddafi.”
The paper also said Salama believed that God “will let us enjoy liquor, usury and sorcery in Paradise after we were deprived of them in life.”
It added: “Hundreds of Twitter users are demanding the arrest and trial of Salama for insulting Islam, the Prophet (PBUH) and God as was the case with Kashgari.”
Kashgari was reported last week to have repented at court but there was no official word whether this would lead to his release.
Sheikh Saleh bin Fowzan Al Fowzan, a member of the 7-man supreme committee of scholars in Saudi Arabia, said it has been established in Islam that anyone who insults God or the Prophet should be killed.
“Repenting will not work…any man who insults God or our Prophet (PBUH) should be killed,” he said. “But we should first verify that this man (Kashgari) did insult Prophet Mohammed in his article on Twitter. If verified, then he must be killed. Many scholars and people are now demanding his execution.”