AP: Saudi Teacher Sentenced to 750 Lashes [View All]

[Tesha]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/11/17/international/i091005S13.DTL

Saudi Teacher Sentenced to 750 Lashes

By TAREK AL-ISSAWI, Associated Press Writer

A Saudi high-school chemistry teacher accused of discussing religion
with his students has been sentenced to 750 lashes and 40 months in
prison for blasphemy, officials said Thursday.

The court ruling was condemned by human rights activists, who said
Mohammed Salamah al-Harbi was being imprisoned for having an "open
discussion" with students.

Al-Harbi was convicted of questioning and ridiculing Islam,
discussing the Bible and defending Jews, judicial officials said
Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized
to talk to the media.

Prosecutors acted after a complaint by students and al-Harbi's
fellow teachers, officials said. The court in the northern
province of al-Qassim heard the case Saturday in a six-hour trial.

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