Saudi Arabia accuses another Twitter user of apostasy

In spite of the international outrage following the arrest of Saudi Arabian writer Hamza Kashgari for blasphemous messages on Twitter, another man has been accused of committing apostasy on the social media site.

Mohammed Salama is living in fear of arrest by authorities in Saudi Arabia following charges of apostasy. Emirates 247 reported hundreds of Twitter users are calling for Salama's arrest after he publicly blasphemed by tweeting “If God gives chances but does not forget, then why He forgot Israel and did not give chances to Gaddafi.” Salama then went on to compound his offence by writing he believed God “will let us enjoy liquor, usury and sorcery in Paradise after we were deprived of them in life.” Since making his comment on Twitter Salama has lost his job at a Saudi dairy. In February Digital Journal reported that Saudi Arabian writer Hamza Kashgari had been arrested for apostasy. Fearing his arrest Kashgari fled the Kingdom but was handed back to Saudi by authorities in Malaysia. The supreme committee of scholars in the Kingdom has called for Kashgari to be executed. Earlier this month Kashgari Death Penalty News reported Kashgar repented in court, but senior Muslim cleric Sheikh Saleh bin Fowzan Al Fowzan is still demanding the death penalty if Kashgari is found guilty of blasphemy. Al Fowzan said “Repenting will not work…any man who insults God or our Prophet 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.” If Saudi authorities proceed with the arrest of Salama it will be no surprise as the public mood is violently in favor of punishment for those deemed to have insulted the Prophet.