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Christian Man Arrested After Criticizing Islamic Law on Website

Written by Melane Bower
Monday, 02 February 2009 08:48
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI (Christian Freedom International) -- A Saudi Arabian man has been arrested and detained for writing about his conversion to Christianity and criticizing the country’s judicial system on his website. Hamoud Bin Saleh, a 26-year-old writer who graduated in 2003 from Al Yarmouk University in Jordan, became disillusioned with Islam after witnessing the public execution of three Pakistani men. When he began an extensive study of Islamic history and law, he was dismayed to learn that kingdom authorities only prosecute foreigners and the country’s poorest citizens. Bin Saleh came to faith in Christ after obtaining a copy of the Bible and learning about how Jesus came to offer eternal salvation. He was arrested on January 13, 2009 after posting a blog on his website denouncing the prejudicial application of justice in Saudi Arabia, as well as a description of his own conversion to the Christian faith. Bin Saleh has been arrested on two prior occasions, with the last incident taking place in November 2008, when he underwent a month-long interrogation by authorities concerning articles he wrote condemning the regime’s human rights violations for Christian converts. He was released following an interfaith dialogue conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on November 12-13, but was promptly rearrested after the conference ended. Under sharia (Islamic law), Saudi Arabia can impose the death penalty on anyone who insults Islam or the prophet Muhammad, or converts from Islam to another faith. The country’s ruling monarchy has also been known to restrict media and other forms of public expression. Other incidents of repression and persecution include the December 2007 arrest of a Saudi political critic in connection with his outspoken website postings, and the August 2008 murder of a 26-year-old woman who was killed for discussing her conversion to the Christian faith in her blog messages. For more information about Christian persecution, visit Christian Freedom International at www.christianfreedom.org.
Last Updated ( Monday, 02 February 2009 09:01 )