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A Saudi Arabian journalist was detained upon arriving in Malaysia for insulting the Prophet Muhammad via his Twitter account, according to media reports.
Hamza Kashgari, a newspaper columnist, received a number of threats when he posted an imaginary conversation between him and the prophet, calling him his equal, according to Al-Arabiya television.
The comments were called religiously offensive and thousands of people, including the rulers of Saudi Arabia, vented their anger at him. Some clerics and citizens called on authorities to prosecute him. Blasphemy can be punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.
Kashgari also received death threats, with people offering money to his killers, and some posting his home address on the Internet. Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja said that Kashgari should “not write in any Saudi paper or magazine,” according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
“We are concerned about the safety and well-being of Hamza Kashgari,” stated Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Sensitivities about his postings are understandable, but threats of violent retribution are unacceptable.”
Officials in Malaysia, which is a predominantly Muslim nation, did not detail where Kashgari was arriving from, reported the the Malaysia Star. Kashgari may have left Saudi Arabia after his arrest was ordered by the king.
Malaysian officials said that he was detained at the request of Saudi Arabia, according to the newspaper.