A Filipino factory worker in Saudi Arabia was arrested after allegedly drawing a dirty finger with a caption that disrespected Muhammad. The 32-year-old worker was "supposedly caught by his supervisor with an illustration of a dirty finger on a piece of paper under it a caption that says ‘F**k you Mohamad’," said the chairman of the Riyadh-based local chapter of Migrante in Saudi Arabia.
The worker and his supervisor had a dispute that day after the former complained about the latter's decision to transfer him to another job site.
On Tuesday, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona was able to see the jailed worker and said that the supervisor allegedly reported the "dirty finger" illustration to a Mutawa or religious police who arrested him. Monterona added, "It is unfortunate that because of what he had sketched, he was sent to jail and might probably face a case over violation of customary prohibition."
The group is planning to consult a local Shariah lawyer to see if the drawing constitutes an offense of the host government's customary prohibition. Monterona stated, "It is totally wrong to equate that what he had drawn is in reference to Mohamad, the prophet, as we OFWs had high regard and respect to the Muslim prophet. Blasphemy must be ruled out."
The group is working with Philippine embassy officials in Riyadh to provide assistance to the jailed worker.