Malaysia Takes Action On Anti-Islam Internet Surfers By Steve Gold, Newsbytes KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 12 Dec 2000, 7:48 AM CST Insulting Islam on the Internet in Malaysia could prove costly from now on, as the government has warned that offenders face fines of up to $1,300 and/or three years in prison. This draconian warning came from Abdul Hamid Othman, a minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister's Department Monday, when he said that any Muslim world Internet surfers who insult the Prophet Mohammed and the Koran, the Muslim equivalent of the bible, on the Internet, face dire consequences. The legal action, he said, will be taken under Syariah criminal law - the Law of Mohammed - which all Muslim states adopt. Othman's comments are likely to attract condemnation from Western Internet users and experts, many of whom, say Islamic proponents, do not understand the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. ...
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Declan McCullagh