(ANS) KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT– Kuwait’s parliament approved the death sentence for Muslims who insult Allah, the Qu’ran, Muslim prophets, or Muhammad’s wives on Thursday. Christians and other non-Muslim minorities will be given a minimum prison sentence of ten years for the same offense.

Two men holding a discussion in Kuwait City

Forty members of parliament voted in favor of the amendment, while six opposed it, in the second and final round of voting on May 3. The bill still needs approval by Kuwait’s ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, before becoming law.

The amendment follows the arrest of Hamad Al-Naqi, a Shiite Muslim, for allegedly using the social networking site Twitter to curse the Muslim Prophet Mohammed in March. In another case, writer Mohammad Al-Mulaifi was sentenced to seven years in jail with hard labor last month after he published remarks deemed offensive to Shiite Muslims. There are many Kuwaitis facing trial for similar charges that might be executed if the law is passed, reported the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.

Parliamentarian Ali Al-Deqbasi said that incidents of cursing God in social media have increased and the new legislation is “needed to deter them.”

Islamist parliamentarian Mohamed Al-Dallal agrees: “Twitter is an open area… everyone can speak. But it is not always being used as social media in Kuwait—not about friendship or personal matters but it is being used politically, to attack. This is a bad thing.”

At present, blasphemy is considered slander or libel under Article 111 of Kuwait’s Penal Code and carries up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine. If the new amendment is enacted, Muslim defendants that repent in court following their first offense will be spared capital punishment, but will be given a five-year jail term or a fine of $36,000, Agence-France Presse reports. A second offense will warrant the death penalty.

Abdulhameed Dashti, a Shiite parliamentarian who opposed the amendment, told AFP that the bill breaches the Kuwaiti constitution and the principles of Islam.

“Why are we trying to show Islam as a religion of death and blood when it is actually the opposite of that?” Dashti said.

The increased penalties for blasphemy follows legislation introduced in February by the newly formed Al-Adala (Justice) bloc to prohibit the construction of churches and other non-Islamic places of worship, Agenzia Fides reports. Moreover, after elections in early-February, parliamentarian Mohammed Al-Haif stated that the new parliament fully intends to center the country’s constitution on Islamic law. “The ground is now fertile to amend the second article of the constitution to facilitate the road to change making Sharia the sole source of legislation in Kuwait,” said Al-Haif.

“The Kuwait Parliament seems to be seriously intending to bring Kuwait back to the Middle Ages,” writes Anna Mahjar-Barducci for the Gatestone Institute. “As well as introducing the death penalty for blasphemy, the Kuwaiti MPs have suggested banning swimsuits and requiring women to wear headscarves in public.”

Blasphemy laws have been on the rise in recent years, and are increasingly posing a threat to free speech and human rights, including religious freedom, in the Middle East. Similar prison sentences for blaspheming Islam have been issued in Tunisia, Egypt, and Pakistan in recent months.

World Vision launched a global campaign today to urge G8 leaders to support policies tackling issues of hunger and food security in anticipation of the upcoming G8 Summit in May.

Why Jesus? is the third and final seeker-friendly "stepping stone" web site operated by Jesus Net Japan. The site features a five-week course supervised by "e-coaches," and culminates in an invitation to a gospel meeting and connection to a local church in Japan.

But following last year’s cataclysmic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, many Japanese who faced life’s tough questions that religious syncretism — a general amalgamation or merging of several religions — simply cannot answer are open to the Christian gospel. And they’re finding answers, of all places, online.

“People with a heart for Japan, for evangelism and for the application of technology to the furtherance of the gospel really identify with this tremendous cause,” said Christian Zebley, U.S. spokesman for Jesus Net Japan. “The Japanese are a very private people; it’s very unlikely that they would ask a stranger — even someone they know is a Christian — such personal questions as who God is or how they can be saved,” he said.

“The Internet lets them learn about God and His plan for salvation in a way that is comfortable for them and respectful of their culture. We believe this is the long-awaited moment for harvest in Japan.”

Internet Evangelism Day is observed on the fourth Sunday of April each year and is designed to draw attention to the tremendous role the Internet plays in society. More than 2 billion people use the Web, while more than 4 billion use mobile phones that increasingly are Web-equipped. According to ABC News, two million people around the world “look for God each day” on line.

Hope for Living introduces visitors to disaster survivors’ stories that illustrate how they have been strengthened by faith in God, or how they got to know Jesus amid their turmoil. The site also contains prayers and words of hope to encourage those who are afraid, tired, lonely or going through difficult times.

The next web site “stepping stone,” Knowing God, introduces inquiring users to the gospel, helping them understand the concept of monotheism and the fact that for Christians, the God of the Bible is the one, true God.

Why Jesus?, the final web site, is an interactive course led by “e-coaches” to assist seekers during the five-week experience, at the end of which they invite them to a gospel meeting and help connect them to a local church.

“One of the primary goals of evangelism is to meet people where they are and introduce them to Jesus,” said Andy Game, Jesus Net Japan director. “The Japanese are huge consumers of digital technology. If we want them to know that they matter to Jesus, we need to meet them where they live. Much of that is online.”

Crossroad Bible Institute announced recently the launch of two new satellite campuses in Malawi in the midst of the recent unrest following the president’s death. Of seventeen CBI satellites now operating internationally, seven are located in Africa.

Earlier this month, the Malawian government withheld details about President Bingu wa Mutharika’s death for two days, sparking fears that the reigning political party would circumvent the constitution to bring in a new president.

The government eventually acted in accordance with the constitution, appointing Joyce Banda as Malawi’s first, and Africa’s second, female president. Previously, as the country’s first female vice president, Banda was an outspoken women’s rights advocate and publicly opposed the president, a surprising move for a woman in her society.

Along with international concern quelled by the smooth succession of power, Mutharika’s death brought celebration in Malawi. His rule was autocratic, and citizens hope for an end to repression and economic difficulties. Already, President Banda has fired government officials loyal to Mutharika and reinitiated contact with countries that suspended aid during his presidency.

Yet obstacles to improvement are significant: Malawi is considered one of the least developed countries in the world, with low life expectancy, high infant mortality and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

Overcrowded prisons, some at more than 200 percent capacity, are plagued by unsanitary conditions, and the judicial system is corrupt and understaffed.

In this chaotic environment, Crossroad Bible Institute is providing prisoners with biblically based studies and steadfast support from the church. Two campuses have been opened, with Wale Junaid directing CBI Malawi North and Platwell Dindi overseeing CBI Malawi South.

“Most of the prisoners have no one and have never known real love. But God has them in a good place for His touch of mercy,” Director Dindi remarks. The government granted permission for the CBI program to be introduced in many Malawian prisons.

“Like other CBI satellites across the globe, these campuses offer the hope and dependability of the Gospel in the midst of political uncertainty, broken judiciary systems and inhumane prison conditions,” states Crossroad President Dr. H. David Schuringa.

CBI is a nonprofit prison ministry with over 42,000 students studying through satellite campuses on six continents. The program is provided at no cost to prisoners and their families.