Political Activist Calls to Kill Mauritanian Blogger Accused of Affronting the Prophet Muhammad; Human Rights Activist: You Should Join ISIS

The fate of Mauritanian blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, whose death sentence for affronting the Prophet Muhammad was commuted to two years in prison after he repented, continues to inflame public sentiment. In a France 24 TV debate, which aired on November 13, Mauritanian political activist Abd Al-Malik Ahmad called for Mkhaitir to be executed despite his repentance, saying that "after he is killed, he can be buried like a Muslim." Moroccan human rights activist Abdel-Samad Ayat Aesha confronted him, saying that "calling to kill a person for expressing his views is the mentality of ISIS." Mkhaitir, whose 2014 article criticizing the use of Islam to justify Muaritania's caste system led to his arrest, later repented, leading to the commuting of his death sentence to two years in prison, which he had already served. Following the court verdict, mass demonstrations were held, calling for Mkhaitair's execution.