Sentenced for "mocking religion".King challenges Pew Poll 14 November 2005
+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 14 Nov.'05:"Teacher Charged With Mocking Religion
Sentenced to Jail"Ebtihal Mubarak
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"a Saudi highschool teacher accused of mocking religion ... was
sentenced to three years in prison and 750 lashes -- 50 lashes per week for
15 weeks"
"accused of mocking Islam, favoring Jews and Christians, preventing
students from performing ablutions. He was also charged with studying
witchcraft."
"felt it his duty as an educator to enlighten his students and warn them
of terrorism"
"the judge did not question anyone from the school except for the
students and the teachers who filed the lawsuit"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
JEDDAH, 14 November 2005 - ...Muhammad Al-Harbi, a Saudi high school teacher
accused of mocking religion ... was sentenced to three years in prison and
750 lashes - 50 lashes per week for 15 weeks... given in the public market
... .
A number of 12th Grade students, along with some teachers from the same
school, filed a lawsuit a year-and-a-half ago against Al-Harbi. He was
accused of mocking Islam, favoring Jews and Christians, preventing students
from performing ablutions. He was also charged with studying witchcraft. At
the time, he was a chemistry teacher ... .
... Al-Harbi .... explained ... that the students who filed the lawsuit
had failed the monthly chemistry test. "They asked me to give them the exam
again and when I refused, they went to the principal to complain but he
upheld my decision," he explained.
According to Al-Harbi, the students' actions were triggered by some Islamic
studies teachers who used the students' anger at Al-Harbi and convinced them
to file the lawsuit.
... Based on his academic record and extracurricular activities, the school
principal appointed Al-Harbi as school activities organizer.
Deeply disturbed by the explosions at the Al-Hamra Compound in Riyadh in
2003, Al-Harbi felt it his duty as an educator to enlighten his students and
warn them of terrorism and its consequences. He went to great lengths by
talking to students, hanging anti-terrorism signs around the school and
speaking against terrorism.
"The Ministry of Education has recently ordered all schools to lecture
students on the dangers of extremism and terrorism in general, but I was a
step ahead of their decision," said Al-Harbi.
Apparently Al-Harbi's actions and comments against terrorism upset a number
of Islamic studies teachers known for their fundamentalist beliefs. After
the Al-Hamra blast in Riyadh, Al-Harbi copied an article, "Cavemen Go to
Hell" written by Saudi columnist Hammad Al-Salmi in Al-Jazirah newspaper,
attacking terrorists and extremists. Al-Harbi posted the article on the
school bulletin board but it was ripped off and torn to pieces.
The teachers, as one of the students' fathers admitted to Al-Harbi, used to
visit students in their homes, encouraging them to disobey Al-Harbi and
calling him names. One of the Islamic studies teachers stopped Al-Harbi in a
morning school assembly from speaking against Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin,
identified by the Saudi government as a terrorist and who was on the
government's list of wanted terrorists. The teacher told Al-Harbi that
Al-Muqrin was a Muslim and that no matter what he had done, no one should
speak against him.
"They told the students that I studied under secular teachers and thus I'm
not to be trusted in any subject except for chemistry," said Al-Harbi.
Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem, Al-Harbi's lawyer, told Arab News that the sentence
was illegal. "Any case that has to do with sacrilege must be heard in a
special religious court and not in a regular one," he explained. " The judge
heard them individually and did not give the defendant the right to
interrogate the witnesses," said Al-Lahem. He also refused to acknowledge
Al-Lahem as the defendant's lawyer. Al-Lahem will appeal ... .Strangely, the
judge did not question anyone from the school except for the students and
the teachers who filed the lawsuit. "I asked the court to talk to the
principal and anyone from the school, but the judge refused," said Al-Harbi.
One of the charges made against Al-Harbi was that he praised disbelievers.
Al-Lahem said that this was a very broad statement without an exact meaning.
Another accusation made by the students and the teachers is that Al-Harbi
mocked bearded men since many religious people are bearded. "That is just
ridiculous," Al-Lahem said, pointing out that Al-Harbi himself has a beard.
When Arab News called the school principal, he refused to make any comment
beyond saying that he had been told by "higher authorities" to say nothing
to the media.
. . .
The Ministry of Education has transferred Al-Harbi from his teaching job to
an administrative one ... . When he contacted the ministry and asked why he
was being moved, Al-Harbi failed to get a clear answer.
+++ JORDAN AND TERRORISM
Dr.Joseph Lerner,co-director IMRA
The tragedy in Jordan revealed its skewed view of terrorism as shown by
King Abdullah's rejection of the Pew Poll result that 57 per cent of
Jordanians justify suicide bombings and other violent acts "in defence of
Islam" He countered the Pew Poll results with the results of the Zogby
Poll's that 80 per cent of Jordanians are opposed to terrorist acts against
innocent civilians . As a clincher, King Abdullah noted the street
demonstrations against the bombings in Amman. He says: " ... see our
streets in order to understand".
King Abdullah did not note the statement by Fares Braizat, University of
Jordan's chief pollster, that over 60 per cent of Jordanians view Al Qaeda
as a legitimate resistance group.
Jordanian approval of attacks "in defence of Islam" does not apply since
the perpetrators declared their motivation was that the targeted hotels
housed U.S. and Israeli spies.
Islamic states, religious leaders, media voices and academics share a
strong record of simultaneously denouncing the murder of "innocent
civilians" while supporting such actions under the crest of eliminating
occupiers. They all insist that any statement against terrorism not apply
to any efforts to terminate occupation, as in Iraq and Israel. So, while
Jordan will not house Hamas, Jordan will not oppose Hamas.
Note two other features of Jordan's reaction to the tragic bombings :
There is no questioning as to how such a crime came about in Islam
and there was an immediate outpouring of praise for
Jordan's security forces ignoring their having provided virtually no
protection for the hotels. The prime media response is telling:
The editorial of the Jordan Times special Saturday 12 Nov. edition
stressed "No country in the region offers such a perfect and
convenient combination of attractions for culture, leisure, medical
and religious tourism."
+++ JORDAN TIMES 14 Nov.'05:"Anti-terror fight won't stop-King"
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"King Abdullah ... questioned the accuracy of a recent Pew
Research Foundation poll , which claimed that 57 per cent of
Jordanians say suicide bombings and other violent actions are
'justifiable in defence of Islam'."
" 'The Zogby Poll that was taken at the same time showed
80 per cent of Jordan were against violence, against suicide
bombings, against terrorist acts perpetrated against innocent
civilians ' "
" 'look at the Jordanian streets where the majority, you know, of
the country poured out to denounce what Zarqawi and Al Qaeda
did' "
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
AMMAN (JT) ... King Abdullah on Sunday met with EU foreign policy chief
Javier Solana, who expressed confidence in Jordan's ability to thwart
terrorism.
. . .
King Abdullah thanked the EU for its supportive stand ... .
Solana said the EU was ready to provide any kind of assistance to Jordan.
. . .
"We have a very profound relationship with Jordan already."
. . .
King Abdullah ... questioned the accuracy of a recent Pew Research
Foundation poll, which claimed that 57 per cent of Jordanians say suicide
bombings and other violent actions are "justifiable in defence of Islam."
" ... there are many other polls that show completely the opposite. The
Zogby Poll that was taken at the same time showed 80 per cent of Jordan was
against violence, against suicide bombings, against terrorist acts
perpetrated against innocent civilians," the King stressed.
"I can show you many other polls that were done in the West that say
completely the opposite figures. ... look at the Jordanian streets where
the majority, you know, of the country poured out to denounce what Zarqawi
and Al Qaeda did, calling for Zarqawi to be called to justice, for him to
burn in hell, you need to see our streets in order to understand..." . .
.
Dr. Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA
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