JEDDAH: Authorities in
Saudi Arabia arrested
Shankar Ponnam
, an Indian agricultural engineer, for allegedly offending Islamic sentiments. Ponnam superimposed a picture of the Hindu god Shiva onto a picture of the
Holy Kaaba
to make it look like he was sitting atop it.
The Holy Kaaba is the most sacred place for over one billion Muslims across the globe and is the pivot around which the whole Muslim world rotates.
His arrest in Riyadh, announced by the Saudi Interior Ministry on November 20, caused serious concern for the lakhs of Indians employed in Saudi Arabia.
Col. Fawaz Al-Maiman, spokesman for Riyadh police, said the Criminal Investigation Department arrested the 40-something Indian expat on charges of blaspheming Islam’s holiest shrine on his Facebook account. The police also claimed that Ponnam admitted to the act.
Consequently, a group of Indians attacked Ponnam, recorded him being beaten up and put the video up on social media. It is assumed that the mob too will face punishment under the Anti-Cyber Crime Law for its unlawful actions.
The incident was an unpleasant blow to lakhs of Indians in the country and also to the Saudi public, who have appreciated Indian expatriates for their honesty, dedication and loyalty to the country’s customs and tradition.
One Indian opined that the country's mission in Saudi Arabia has much to do in the context of its citizen's arrest to ensure such actions do not recur in the host country. Campaigns to reach out to Indian citizens in Saudi need to be organised by the Embassy and Consulate with the support of community volunteers.
Public outrage in the case was noteworthy. When the issue began to garner widespread outrage, the accused immediately deleted the controversial picture from social media. But by then the Saudi public was pushing for his arrest and the authorities took strong action against him.
Some Arab nations connected the case to the demolition of the
Babri Masjid and observed that the offender might be encouraged by the current social and political atmosphere in India.
While Ponnam claimed that he was not the one who created the image, it was from him it spread and was consequently, widely shared. Tracing the culprit in this case is considered an achievement of the cyber cell.
Blasphemy
is a great sin in Islam and results in harsh punishments, including solitary confinement, flogging, and execution.