Ifta wants Kashghari tried for apostasy

RIYADH: In a new development in the case of Saudi writer Hamza Kashghari, who wrote a few tweets that were considered slanderous to Almighty Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him), the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Religious Edicts (Ifta) issued a strongly worded statement in which it said mocking Allah or His Prophet is a downright sacrilegious act, kufr (infidelity) and apostasy that should no go undetected, local daily Al-eqtisadiah reported Thursday.

"Whoever dares make a mockery of Allah, the Prophet or the Holy Book undermines the religion and displays enmity toward it. It is the duty of the rulers to try such a criminal," the committee said, warning Muslims to stay away from such practices so as to avoid exasperating God.

The committee issued its statement after a meeting under its chairman Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-asheikh, the Grand Mufti.

The Prophet's Sunnah and Sciences, an Internet site, also strongly denounced Kashghari's blunders and urged the authorities to take stringent actions against him. "This is a sacrilegious action necessitating harsh punitive measures to deter others who might think of doing the same thing," supervisor of the website Faleh Al-saqeer said.

He expressed confidence that the rulers of this Islamic country would not allow the culprit to get off scotfree.

According to local press reports, Kashghari left the country two days ago. People close to him said that he repented and regretted what he had said about Allah and His Prophet.

Under Islamic Shariah law, anyone who commits sacrilegious actions that may make him or her kafir should be given three days to repent, failing which the person is to be beheaded.