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"Hell is other Twitter users \u2014 according to the head of Saudi Arabia's religious police force, anyway.\nSheikh Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh said Wednesday that Muslims who use Twitter or other social media have \"lost this world and his afterlife,\" as quoted by BBC News.\nSaudi Arabia has a complicated relationship with social media as its usage skyrockets in the country. However, the Saudi government is worried social media could help the political opposition in the country organize in spread, similar to the ways it has been used throughout the Middle East and elsewhere. \n\"The Kingdom is particularly concerned with how Twitter has been used to keep people informed of human rights activists who have been tried for the crime of free speech,\" writes Jonathan Turley, professor of law at The George Washington University Law School. \"Leaders on the web have been detained while others have been charged with apostasy and other crimes for statements made on these sites.\"\nSEE ALSO: Journalist Arrested for Tweets Gets Deported to Saudi Arabia\n\nSoftware engineer Moxie Marlinspike recently alleged in a blog post that Saudi Arabia wants the ability to spy on Twitter and such popular messaging services as Viber and WhatsApp.\nSeveral years ago, Saudi Arabia threatened to ban BlackBerry devices unless the company made it easier for the government to read users' messages. The company reportedly decided to comply with those demands.\nOther religious figures, including the Dalai Lama and the Pope, have embraced social media to varying degrees as a way to spread their message or connect with those inside and outside their faith. Can religion and social media mix? Share your thoughts in the comments.\nImage via iStockphoto, Erikona"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/05/16/saudi-arabia-twitter-hell/>