The Free Speech continuum
The wild free for all against President Bush does empower al-Qaeda by supporting their paradigm that its all America’s fault and that attacks are thus justified. At the other extreme, criticizing the head of state is illegal in most Middle eastern Countries.
Ali is charged with criticizing - during a Friday sermon - HH the Amir’s right to allow foreign armies to launch war on Iraq from Kuwaiti territory, defaming HH the Amir in public by describing Arab leaders as ‘traitors and failures’, holding a public seminar to defame brotherly and friendly states without permission and holding a public rally during the Friday sermon without permission. Al-Ali, former Secretary-General of the Salafi Movement, is also accused of teaching individuals how to make explosives in a mosque in Jahra and posting this information on his private website on the Internet.
Attorney Monawer added his client did not defame any one in particular, his spoke in general when he talked about allowing foreign armies to invade Iraq from Kuwaiti soil, without naming anyone. “Talking about ‘Arabs’ failure’, my client only said what the Arab leaders themselves had decided,” said Monawer.
