Hamza Kashgari, 23, was forced to flee his country this week after tweets he posted involving the Prophet Mohammed led to calls for his execution by radical Islamists.

The young Saudi Arabian man sent the following tweets addressed to Mohammed:

“I have loved the rebel in you, you’ve always been a source of inspiration to me.”

He then tweeted:

“I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you,” and “I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak to you as a friend, no more.”

Following his bold statements he received more than 30,000 responses, mostly negative against his public use of Mohammad as an equal.

While Kashgari managed to delete his Twitter account his home address was eventually posted online through the video streaming website YouTube and vigilantes looking to end the young man’s life began staking out his Mosque which led to fleeing the country.

In the meantime a leading cleric in the country has demanded that me be tried for apostasy which is punishable by death while the countries king issued a warrant for his arrest.

Speaking to local media Kashgari said:

“I’m afraid, and I don’t know where to go. “

Saudi blogger Fouad al-Farhan wrote that Kashgari “crossed the line” and “We’ve never had our own Salman Rushdie before.”

The location of Kashgari has not been revealed for his own protection and he will likely never be allowed back in his country without the threat of violence or quite possibly death.

Do you think calls of an execution against the Saudi Arabian man are ridiculous and a bit mid-evil?

Tweets About The Prophet Mohammad Lead To Execution Threats Against Twitter User is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to the Daily Mail, Al Shahry put the request on the social networking sight in order to not have to live in poverty.  When the government shut down his business he applied for welfare but was denied because he is older than 35 years old.

Al Shahry offered to go to court to make the deal legal.  He said the only information he required from the buyer was to know what city he was from.

It is unlikely the sale would have been completed in court which makes some think he was just doing this for a publicity stunt.

Saudi Arabia has strict anti-trafficking laws on the books but the kingdom does not even meet minimal enforcement standards according to the United States Department of State.

The State Department is quoted in various reports saying that,

“[Saudi Arabia]continues to lack adequate anti-trafficking laws, and, despite evidence of widespread trafficking abuses, did not report any criminal prosecutions, convictions or prison sentences for trafficking crimes committed against foreign domestic workers.”

Facebook is also unlikely to haqve allowed the sale to be consumated on its site, in its terms and conditions it says,

“[Facebook] will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else’s rights or otherwise violates the law”

Do you think Nasser Al Shahry should be allowed to sell his son to get out of poverty?

Man Tries To Sell His Son on Facebook for $20 Million Dollars is a post from: The Inquisitr

The law forbidding men to work in female apparel and cosmetic stores was first proposed in 2006, but has never been pushed through, largely due to disapproval from the country’s top hard-liner clerics. The clerics are opposed to women working in places where men and women congregate together, like malls. Frightful stuff, I know.

The decision to finally enforce the law is, in fact, largely down to female consumers. As women grew tired of dealing with men in lingerie outlets, more and more boycotted such stores. Now, the government has backed down, and the new law goes into effect Thursday.

Saudi Arabia’s famously ultra-conservative law is enforced by police who are under the control of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The body is responsible for ensuring Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Islam is observed in day-to-day life. The Saudi law ensures men and women are highly segregated, with unrelated men and women prohibited from mingling in many walks of life.

Exceptions do occur, however. Saudi Arabian women hold positions as doctors, nurses, university lecturers and engineers, though these are rare examples.

Alas, thousands of men are set to lose their jobs in the stores, with the Saudi Labor Ministry confirming over 28,000 women have already applied for the positions.

And of course, not everybody is particularly pleased about women having the temerity to show their faces in public. Here’s Saudi’s Arabia’s most senior cleric, Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al Sheikh, on the matter:

“The employment of women in stores that sell female apparel and a woman standing face to face with a man selling to him without modesty or shame can lead to wrongdoing, of which the burden of this will fall on the owners of the stores.”

Saudi Arabia to Pass Lingerie Law is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Obama White House today announced that a deal to sell $30 billion dollars worth of advanced f-15 fighter jets to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been finalized.  Obama has stated that the deal is meant to counteract Iran and provide job and export growth to the American Economy.

Congress approved the deal in 2010.  To fulfill the contract Boeing will provide 84 advanced F-15SA combat planes to the Royal Saudi Air Force.  In addition it will provide upgrades to 70 existing jets in addition to providing arms for the planes, spare parts and other resources for their upkeep.

White house Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that “This agreement will positively impact the U.S. economy and further advances the president’s commitment to create jobs by increasing exports.  According to industry experts, this agreement will support more than 50,000 American jobs, engaging 600 suppliers in 44 states, and providing $3.5 billion in annual economic impact to the U.S. economy.”

Additional military equipment being provided to Saudi Arabia as part of the $60 billion dollar deal approved in 2010 are 70 Apache attack helicopters, 72 Black Hawk helicopters, 26 Little Bird helicopters and assorted weapons systems for the aircraft.

The main reason for the arms package’s approval, at the time, was the insistence of both the Obama Administration and The Saudi Arabian government was that the Iranian threat  required a well armed Saudi Arabia.  Saudi Arabia has stood side by side witht he US in opposing Iran’s nuclear program.

Press Secretary Earnest further stated “This agreement reinforces the strong and enduring relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a strong Saudi defense capability as a key component to regional security,”

The Obama administration also sought to allay concerns that the arms package diminished Israel’s miltary edge in the region.

“All sales to the region must be evaluated for the impact on Israel’s qualitative military edge,” assistant Secretary of State Andrew Schapiro told reporters. “We conducted that assessment, and we are satisfied that this sale to Saudi Arabia will not detriment Israel’s qualitative military edge.”

Should America be so committed to improving the Saudi’s military?

Obama White House Selling F-15′s To Saudi Arabia, Worth $30 Billion is a post from: The Inquisitr

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – 2012′s budget was outlined today, indicating an increased concentration on education and healthcare, though the kingdom plans on distancing itself from public entitlements in light of public economic backlash around the world, as well as lower projected revenue.

Though Saudi Arabia is usually conservative in its fiscal projections, specifically surrounding oil revenue (which ended up twice as high than projected in 2011), 2012′s budget predictions are based on more realistic figures. Global oil prices are expected to fall short of last year, lowering Saudi Arabia’s SAR 1,100 billion (2011) to roughly SAR702 billion for the coming year. The resulting surplus will be approximately SAR12 billion for 2012, down from 2011′s SAR306 billion. Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist of NCB Capital in Jeddah, had this to say regarding the lowered predicted surplus:

“Clearly it’s a very strong fiscal outcome for last year, after a massive surplus at just over 10% of [gross domestic product]. Not many countries can boast that in this day and age. It’s an enviable starting point [for 2012].”

Included in the 2012 budget: a 13% increase in spending for education and 26% increase in spending for health care, including the construction of new hospitals. Last year’s government-funded programs for housing, jobs and other social programs will be quietly phased out.

According to Paul Gamble, the head of research at Jadwa Investments in Riyadh, the tightened budget surrounding the more conservative predictions is a good thing. He says that last year’s figures made it “easier to overspend” over the year, meaning primarily that the projected drop doesn’t necessarily signal economic troubles, but rather wiser spending on the part of the Saudi kingdom. To put things in better context, last year 40% of the budget was spent on job bonuses, wage increases, and a self-indulgent campaign.

So, in summary:

- Higher spending on health care and education.

- Significant projected reduction in 2012 surplus.

- Economists are saying that revenue projection is realistic.

No reason to get bent out of shape if you’re a global economy watchdog. But hey, news is news.

Is Saudi Arabia’s belt-tightening a wise economic move, or a subtle sign of further economic fallout around the world?

Saudi Arabia Unveils Unusually Conservative 2012 Budget is a post from: The Inquisitr

In Saudi Arabia you better put your broomstick away unless you are only using it for cleaning the porch.  Amina bint Abdulhalim Nassar was beheaded today in the northern area  of Jawf Province for practicing “witchcraft and sorcery”.

The ultra-conservative country is run by strict interpretations of Islamic Law, known as Sharia.  While exact statistics are not known, it is known that 73 people have been beheaded this year in Saudi Arabia for crimes ranging from drug trafficking, murder, sodomy, rape and apostasy.  How many of them were woman is another unknown statistic but at least one other woman was beheaded for setting her husband’s house on fire with him inside of it!

Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s interim director of the Middle East and North Africa told Fox News “The charges of ‘witchcraft and sorcery’ are not defined as crimes in Saudi Arabia.  To use them to subject someone to the cruel and extreme penalty of execution is truly appalling,”. He urged the kingdom to halt all executions.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are the only two countries in the world who officially execute people by beheading.

What do you think?  Does the punishment fit the crime?

Woman Beheaded In Saudi Arabia For Practicing “Sorcery” is a post from: The Inquisitr

Big win for the women of Saudi Arabia this week after Saudi King Adbullah announced that they can now vote and even run for office.

While it’s big news for the region the new ruling won’t go into effect until after this Thursday’s elections which means women won’t have the same rights men have enjoyed for generations until 2015.

Speaking about his decision King Abdullah said:

“Because we refuse to marginalize women in society in all roles that comply with sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior ulama [clerics] and others… to involve women in the Shura Council as members, starting from next term,” while adding, “Women will be able to run as candidates in the municipal election and will even have a right to vote.”

In a statement from the White House, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said:

“The announcements made today represent an important step forward in expanding the rights of women in Saudi Arabia, and we support King Abdullah and the people of Saudi Arabia as they undertake these and other reforms.”

What do you think about this new reformist move by King Abdullah?

Saudi Arabia Gives Women The Right To Vote is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sheikh Muhammad Munajid claimed that Mickey is “one of Satan’s soldiers” and that he makes everything he touches impure.

According to The Telegraph, The cleric, a former diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Washington DC, said that under Sharia, both household mice and their cartoon counterparts must be killed during a religious affairs programme broadcast on al-Majd TV, an Arab television network.

The cleric did admit though that Mickey Mouse did have a bright side, saying that “Mickey Mouse has become an awesome character, even though according to Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed in all cases.”

Saudi Arabian cleric issues fatwa against Mickey Mouse is a post from: The Inquisitr

Remember when Diddy was crying about his jet being too expensive and having to fly commercial? It turns out that the jet was actually “his.” I love it:

“Federal aviation records don’t show Diddy as the registered owner of any private jet. A source said, ‘I have a list of every plane with the name of the owner, and he’s not on it.’ Did they check all 10,000 of his names?”

It turns out that he pays by the hour with a fractional ownership. It’s still better than a lot of us, but when you hold yourself to mega-star standards. . . you get judged, and judged hard. Touche, you big baby!

Image: WireImage

Why Celebrities Shouldn’t Lie: Diddy Caught in a Big One is a post from: The Inquisitr