http://www.france24.com/en/20120412-kuwait-blasphemy-mohammad-prophet-god-islam-twitter-death-penalty
QuoteREUTERS - Kuwaiti lawmakers voted in favour of a legal amendment on Thursday which could make insulting God and the Prophet Mohammad punishable by death, after a case of suspected blasphemy on Twitter caused an uproar in the Gulf Arab state.
Members of Parliament must vote on the proposal again in a second session and it would need the approval of the country's ruler before becoming law.
The amendment was backed by 46 votes, while four opposed it and others abstained. Those in favour included all 15 members of the cabinet.
Blasphemy is illegal in Kuwait under a 1961 publications law and at present carries a jail term, the length of which depends on the severity of the comments and their perceived effect on society, lawyers say...
>:(
Methinks the lady doth protest too much. I would say the weaker the religion, the more draconian the lengths you have to go to to protect it.
How do they know when god has been insulted? Is that why we have thunder storms? (god venting his/her/its anger)
I consider myself a god in comparison to ants, I have never ever been insulted by ants. Is YHWH or Allah easily offended? Would that indicate a lack of confidence?
Quote from: Stevil on April 16, 2012, 08:49:38 PM
How do they know when god has been insulted? Is that why we have thunder storms? (god venting his/her/its anger)
Or his/her/it is having a joy ride with his/her/its nifty chariot. Or his/her/its banging his/her/its wife/husband/companion. At least those are the reasons Ukko is said to throw around a few bolts and cause some rumbling...
And I fully agree with Ali, that the weaker the religion or its claims, and thus position, the more extreme the attempts to hide the fact and "protect" it.... :-\ Well, then again it's a sure way to shoot yourself in the foot in the long run. The question is just how long will it be and how high the cost...
Reading stuff like this is a swift reminder that my culture is very, very different from many others.
Kuwait, heading back to the dark ages.
Quote from: Tank on April 16, 2012, 09:55:39 PM
Kuwait, heading back to the dark ages.
yep, along with similarly unenlightened countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where blasphemy can already carry the death sentence. I'm very glad I don't live in the Middle East!
If their god really exists and is all powerful and will exact perfect judgment, then don't they understand that their god doesn't need help in punishing people that offend it.
Sadly, the most surprising part of this story was that 4 people voted against the law. Whoever they are, they're pretty brave, and I'm now worried for their safety.
I can't help but think how great it was we "freed" them in the early 90's...
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on April 16, 2012, 09:50:52 PM
Reading stuff like this is a swift reminder that my culture is very, very different from many others.
Yeah... And i live in a not so terrible area of the world.
Sometimes i feel, are we even on the same planet as these countries?!
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on April 17, 2012, 02:35:33 AM
I can't help but think how great it was we "freed" them in the early 90's...
A very good point. How much did that cost in terms of lives and material?
Quote from: Tank on April 17, 2012, 08:44:03 AM
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on April 17, 2012, 02:35:33 AM
I can't help but think how great it was we "freed" them in the early 90's...
A very good point. How much did that cost in terms of lives and material?
Very sad to think about those who died....and for what?