Saudi King Abdullah called for his arrest after reading the Tweets, and many in the conservative Muslim country claimed that Kashgari is guilty of blasphemy… a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. Kashgari had attempted to appeal the deportation, but was put on a private jet before his lawyer could request asylum from the Malaysian government.
Kashgari’s attorney now hopes that international pressure against the execution will keep his client alive. The text of the Tweet, which has since been removed, is listed below,
“On your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you’ve always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you"