I was a guest on Trolling with Logic podcast today. And I met another guest, Aly, who was on to discuss a recent blasphemy arrest, and offer information about what people can do to help. Currently the idea is to put as much public pressure on Kuwait as possible in hopes of getting them to relent these charges and drop this case. Aly provided me with a link to an article he asked that I share, which is what I’m doing here at the blog. Anyone interested please check out the article and its links to petitions and other avenues of action available. There is also a Facebook page set up for information, I encourage you to like and follow. I have asked Aly to try calling into TAE today, as well, to discuss this further with the hosts. Please show your support of Aziz and share this information as much as possible. Thanks for your consideration.
Jan 20 2013
Atheist Arrested for Blasphemy, and How You Can Help
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Aly R Aly
January 20, 2013 at 3:03 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Hi Everyone,
I am Aly mentioned in the above post by Tracie. First, Thank you very much for your help in shedding light on Aziz and his plight. All the information about his case is on this page ( http://www.facebook.com/Freebenbaz ). Here are a couple of articles explaining all known aspects of this case: http://www.examiner.com/article/kuwait-atheist-activist-arrested-jailed-for-blasphemy?cid=rss and http://bit.ly/W7KjCn . The second link has many ways for you to help. Please check this out and share with as many people you think will be sympathetic to this clear case of human rights violation.
here is a quick description taken from the Examiner Article:
“In Kuwait an atheist activist and blogger has been arrested and jailed for blasphemy. Abdel Aziz Mohamed Albaz was arrested in Kuwait on charges of blasphemy on Dec. 31, 2012.
Aziz (also known as BenBaz) has been a major force behind Arab Atheist TV, and writes a blog: “Buzz Bin Baz – Rational Libertarian Humanitarian.”
Currently Aziz is being detained at the Central Prison in Kuwait City, and has been there since Jan. 2. An Egyptian, Aziz has been living and working in Kuwait. Friends report Aziz was picked up at his place of work and detained by police in Kuwait on Dec. 31, 2012. A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 28, 2013.”
grumpyoldfart
January 20, 2013 at 3:44 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Your post reminded me of Hamad al-Naqi. There were attempts last year to get him freed, but I haven’t heard anything for months. Does anyone know if he was released?
http://www.pen-international.org/newsitems/kuwait-blogger-hamd-al-naqi-imprisoned/
heicart
January 20, 2013 at 4:11 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I don’t know what happened, but there is a wiki article that sounds like he’s still incarcerated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamad_Naqi
That’s the thing–nobody should be in prison for what they believe or say, when they are only stating opinions. “Illegal opinions” is a very bad precedent.
sheila
January 20, 2013 at 5:01 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Well I signed the petition, and I was the 1,500th person to sign. It’s the first time I’ve ever been the last person needed for the target, and it felt pretty good (although obviously the other 1,499 people were just as important). I hope it helps.
heicart
January 20, 2013 at 5:19 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Awesome! And great you were the “magic” number!
Jubal DiGriz
January 20, 2013 at 5:29 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I called both my senators about this and signed the petition, but I felt somewhat petty about doing so. The US is a military ally of Kuwait and does have some clout with their internal policies. But Kuwait is a major human trafficking center between Africa and Asia, and it appears the government is complicit in this by taking kickbacks from the traffickers in exchange for looking the other way. Urging my senators to focus on this instead of that seems… selfish.
On the other hand, Kuwait politics has become increasingly polarized around religious divisions. A radical fundamentalism government in Kuwait would be all sorts of bad news. While the human slavery problem has been going on for a while and because of the amount of money involved is difficult to stem, telling Kuwaiti politicians that their most important foreign ally doesn’t approve of scapegoating religious minorities is something quite doable and ought to have a meaningful impact.
In short, call your senators and help prevent another country falling to radical fundamentalism.
L.Long
January 20, 2013 at 7:49 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
It great to hear how so many are trying to help! Speaks well for us.
But it is probably a waste of time as any country that will put in laws this stupid don’t give a schite about what others will think. They’ve got oil and some military alignments, & a dumb-ass theocracy which means no one will push too hard against them.
Which is most important to the foreign power elite….Blasphemy? Human trafficking? or OIL?
Patrick Link
January 21, 2013 at 2:10 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Hey, Jubal, instead of feeling petty and selfish why don’t you just call your senators tomorrow on human trafficking?
Screw all monarchs and the theocrats who would replace them.
Warp
January 21, 2013 at 3:55 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
If they are so utterly convinced that they are fulfilling the direct commands of their god, who they think is superior to everything and everybody, and who they dare not contradict, why would they listen to some petitioners or even some politicians from distant infidel countries? Especially given that they have political and economic leverage, and very little incentive to listen.
But on another subject, their god seems quite impotent, doesn’t he? He never does anything himself, always delegating his commands and punishments to flawed people. Someone commits a great “crime” against him? He does nothing; instead people have to defend him and punish people on his behalf. He can’t even defend himself.
It’s a bit like, you know, he isn’t even there.
@MGENblog
March 10, 2013 at 11:15 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Germany has anti-blasphemy laws, too. Three years of prison for “bad-mouthing religion” (§ 166, StGb). Not many people know about it, though.
Sign the Petition | New Dreams of an Old Earth
January 21, 2013 at 8:03 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] issue has been covered on other atheist sites, including the Atheist Experience. I encourage you to read as much as you [...]