A 15-year-old Saudi boy was arrested in Riyadh after sharing on social media a video of himself "spitting" on the holy Quran, sparking outrage.
A Saudi teenager who filmed himself "spitting" on the holy Quran was arrested on Sunday after the video he recorded of himself went viral on social media, sparking outrage across the kingdom.
The 15-year-old was arrested in the Saudi capital Riyadh, where he was identified by authorities, according to a police statement reported by local media.
He is being held in a detention centre awaiting a trial, a police spokesman said.
"Authorities in Riyadh were able to identify and locate the teenager who offended the holy Quran," police spokesman Gen. Fawaz Al Meeman said in a statement.
"[The teenager] has been placed in a social services detention centre. Riyadh's prosecutor has been notified of the incident and will be taking action promptly."
Under Saudi Arabia's strict religious laws, blasphemy is considered a punishable crime that can see the offender executed.
The video, in which the boy appeared topless, sparked outrage among social media users in the kingdom.
The hashtag #CivilianOffendsHolyQuran quickly gained traction on Twitter, where many users called for the boy's execution.
Translated tweet: He who leaves his religion must be killed...Sharia orders that apostates who have come of age should be killed, not imprisoned!
Translated tweet: I saw the video, and I wish I hadn’t! It will anger God if he is not executed! And those who say he is only a teenager are okay with what he did!
A few took to defend the teenager, adding that a severe punishment was unreasonable.
Translated tweet: What's wrong with people who are calling for his execution and flogging? Have some compassion. The boy could have a psychological problem or he could be uneducated or influenced by others around him
Translated tweet: This teenager who appeared naked in a video and spat on the holy Quran, clearly has some mental health issues. Instead of all the drama, and instead of calling for his execution, we must call on authorities to provide him with treatment
Translated tweet: He's only 15-years-old... he's just a kid! Who knows what led him to do this, who knows who influenced him or what his living situation is like!! Don't be too harsh on him
Saudi teenager arrested over 'Macarena' dance at pedestrian crossing
A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after a
video surfaced online that showed him dancing to the 1993 international hit "Macarena" in the middle of a pedestrian crossing in Jeddah.
The teenager walked to the middle of the crossing as cars stopped on a red light on the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street (also known as Tahlia Street), inside one of the wealthiest districts in the heart of the Saudi city.
He went on to perform his dance in a humorous fashion to waiting vehicles. The dance was captured in a 40-second video that went viral over the weekend on social media platforms.
Jeddah police confirmed it identified and arrested the boy over offences including "violating public principles" and "obstructing traffic", according to local media reports. His case will be referred to the Public Prosecutor.
If found guilty, the boy may face harsh punishments under the kingdom's ultra-conservative laws - including imprisonment and flogging.
Social media saw a mixed reaction to the video - with some condemning the boy's actions as "immoral" while others applauded him for his courage, calling him a "hero".
"Dear God, what's wrong with today's youth?" one user said on Twitter.
"I pray to God to guide our youth. This boy's actions are immoral. This is not how we were brought up," another user said.
Source: The New Arab, August 22, 2017
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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
