S
Shruti Dasgupta
Guest
Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan, an Indian engineer, spent more than 5 years in a Saudi jail. Why? He was accused of blasphemy and hurting the sentiments of people. Where was the crime committed? His crime was a social media post. Thus, his case was a controversial trial under Saudi Arabia’s stringent blasphemy laws and ‘misuse of social media’. Let’s talk about free speech in Muslim nations.
PC OpIndia
Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan is an engineer by profession. He became the first Indian to be tried for blasphemy in Saudi Arabia. The charges levelled against him were blasphemy, misusing social media, and allegedly hurting religious and national sentiments.
Many Muslim netizens use these vague-grey-zone laws to provoke online debates which can be potentially misused to frame an innocent. Is the freedom of speech stifled in Muslim nations? Maybe. At least, these nations have a lot of very dos and don’ts about religious conversations. However, mostly these rules apply only to the protection of Islam. The rules to prevent blasphemy of other religions do not exist in Islamic nations.
Additionally, Vishnu Dev’s case exemplifies the BJP’s stance on freedom of speech. The party and its various local chapters uphold every citizen’s fundamental freedom of expression. Thus, instances like Vishnu Dev’s case highlight that Bharat stands leaps and bounds ahead of Muslim nations in terms of the freedoms of its visitors and citizens.
While Vishnu Dev’s release is undoubtedly a triumph for free speech, his ordeal sheds light on the urgent need for reform in Islamic countries where blasphemy laws are wielded as tools of suppression. Let this be a learning moment for detractors of BJP and Bharat. Firstly, the BJP does not abandon its people. Secondly, Muslim nations do not allow the same levels of freedom as Bharat. Lastly, Sanatana Dharma is the only religion in the world where freedom of speech is not just safeguarded but celebrated.
The post Silenced in Saudi Arabia: Indian Engineer’s 5-Year Blasphemy Ordeal appeared first on The Jaipur Dialogues.
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Draconian Blasphemy Laws of Saudi Arabia
PC OpIndia
Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan is an engineer by profession. He became the first Indian to be tried for blasphemy in Saudi Arabia. The charges levelled against him were blasphemy, misusing social media, and allegedly hurting religious and national sentiments.
- What did he post about?
- Well, the man was exercising his freedom of speech by expressing remarks on Prophet Muhammad.
- Why did he need to post about the Prophet?
- Similar to Nupur Sharma, the man was enraged about a debased online exchange on Lord Shiva on Twitter. His post on Prophet Muhammed was in response to a twitter acquitance’s tweet on Hindu gods.
- Who was instrumental in his release?
- Social media helped keep the issue alive, while the BJP’s local cell helped the family find the right legal help.
Freedom of Speech in Islamic Nations
"Radhakrishnan tells TNM that Vishnu Dev did not deny the charges agnst him. “He told me that he made a mistake n tweeted those lines as a retaliatn to the woman’s statements, which abused his god."
Got carried away with the hate rhetoric done in India?https://t.co/M9MN5jQLV8
— BG(@joBeeGeorgeous) April 18, 2020
Many Muslim netizens use these vague-grey-zone laws to provoke online debates which can be potentially misused to frame an innocent. Is the freedom of speech stifled in Muslim nations? Maybe. At least, these nations have a lot of very dos and don’ts about religious conversations. However, mostly these rules apply only to the protection of Islam. The rules to prevent blasphemy of other religions do not exist in Islamic nations.
Additionally, Vishnu Dev’s case exemplifies the BJP’s stance on freedom of speech. The party and its various local chapters uphold every citizen’s fundamental freedom of expression. Thus, instances like Vishnu Dev’s case highlight that Bharat stands leaps and bounds ahead of Muslim nations in terms of the freedoms of its visitors and citizens.
While Vishnu Dev’s release is undoubtedly a triumph for free speech, his ordeal sheds light on the urgent need for reform in Islamic countries where blasphemy laws are wielded as tools of suppression. Let this be a learning moment for detractors of BJP and Bharat. Firstly, the BJP does not abandon its people. Secondly, Muslim nations do not allow the same levels of freedom as Bharat. Lastly, Sanatana Dharma is the only religion in the world where freedom of speech is not just safeguarded but celebrated.
The post Silenced in Saudi Arabia: Indian Engineer’s 5-Year Blasphemy Ordeal appeared first on The Jaipur Dialogues.
Continue reading...