The Saudi journalist whose tweets offended his country’s rulers and religious figures says he “repents.”
Hamza Kashgari “has affirmed to his family that he stands by his repentance, that he has made a mistake and regrets it,” said the family member on condition of anonymity.
The 23-year-old fled to Malaysia after his comments sparked a wave of condemnations and threats against his life, but was deported back to Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Saying he was “deported” glosses over what really happened. Kashgari fled to Malaysia after he tweeted three tweets against Mohammed. That he had to flee his country for tweeting says quite a bit. The Saudi government reached out to Interpol, which issued a “red notice” (notes typically used to nab terrorists and other actual criminals) and based on that, Malaysia police nabbed him at the airport in Kuala Lumpur. Interpol denies its role, unconvincingly. If there wasn’t a “red notice,” why did the Malaysian police say there was? For its part, Malaysia is unrepentant in extraditing Kashgari for his tweets.
Back in Saudi Arabia, Kashgari faces death for blasphemy if he doesn’t repent, which he now has done.
Related stories? Saudi prince invests $300 million in twitter. And that same prince has invested a pile in Fox News, which so far hasn’t interrupted its coverage of court cases involving pretty dead girls to report on Kashgari’s plight.
Anyway, don’t say that some folks around the world hate our freedoms. That wouldn’t be nice.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member