Does our blasphemy laws include punishment for insulting the family members of the prophet (PBUH) and Abu Baker, Umar, Usman and Ali and all other companions of the Prophet (PBUH)
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April 12, 2012
Kuwait parliament endorses tougher anti-blasphemy law
Kuwait's parliament has endorsed a draft law stipulating harsher penalties for insulting God or Prophet Mohammad,
his family or companions
Kuwait's parliament has endorsed a draft law stipulating harsher penalties for insulting God or Prophet Mohammad, his family or companions.
The draft was approved by 46 MPs, including members from the government, after an intense debate on Thursday ,and opposed by four while two abstained.
The lawmakers had to overcome sharp divergences bordering on sectarianism as well as calls by some MPs to impose the death penalty on offenders.
The issue of tougher sentences gained further significance after bloggers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait posted remarks deemed blasphemous on their social network accounts and sparked furore in their home countries.
Kuwait's parliament, voted in on February 2, is dominated by conservatives who have been pushing for an amendment of the laws to reflect their ideology.
Kuwait parliament endorses tougher anti-blasphemy law | GulfNews.com
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May 3, 2012
Kuwait close to death penalty law for blasphemy
Kuwaiti lawmakers endorsed a legal amendment on Thursday which could make insulting God and the Prophet Mohammad by Muslims punishable by death, in a second reading that brings the proposal a step closer to passing.
The plan still needs approval by Kuwait's ruler before it becomes law and follows a high-profile case of suspected blasphemy on Twitter which caused an uproar in the Gulf state.
The draft now includes a new clause which will mean the death penalty will only be applied if the person stands by their actions when questioned by a judge.
This would give defendants the opportunity to repent and face a prison term or a fine instead.
The amendment, which would apply the death penalty only for Muslims, was backed by 40 members of parliament, while six opposed it - slightly more than in the previous reading.
Around 85 percent of Kuwait's inhabitants are thought to be Muslim. Expatriate Christians and Hindus are the next largest groups.
Blasphemy is illegal under Kuwait's publications law and under the penal code as slander or libel. At present it carries a jail term, the length of which depends on the severity of the comments and their perceived effect on society, lawyers say.
Islamist MPs proposed toughening the law in March after authorities arrested a Kuwaiti man they said had defamed the Prophet, his companions and his wife on the Twitter messaging site.
The man, identified by his lawyer as Hamad al-Naqi, has told police his account was hacked. He is now in pre-trial detention.
Dozens of Sunni activists protested to condemn Naqi, who is from Kuwait's Shi'ite Muslim minority.
Other countries which have used the death penalty in blasphemy cases include Kuwait's neighbor Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to Amnesty International.
Kuwait close to death penalty law for blasphemy | Reuters