Engineer jailed for offending Islam, cursing waiter

Dubai: An engineer, who offended Islam after he assaulted a waiter and cursed him while playing electronic games at a coffee shop, has been jailed for three months.

The 27-year-old Palestinian engineer was playing on a Play Station at the coffee shop in Al Rifaa when he had a heated argument with the waiter before he assaulted and cursed him and then cursed his [waiter’s] religion in 2015.

The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the defendant to three months in jail for offending a religion, cursing the waiter and assaulting him. According to Sunday’s judgement, presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said the accused will be deported following the completion of his punishment.

The Palestinian pleaded not guilty and refuted the accusation of having offended Islam.

However, the accused admitted that he had a heated argument with the waiter and called him names.

A policeman testified that he was in the coffee shop when the fight erupted between the accused and the waiter.

“The defendant was outraged and he repeatedly cursed the waiter and also cursed his religion. Once I witnessed what happened, I called up the Dubai Police’s operations room and notified them about what had happened. A police patrol was dispatched to the coffee shop and the defendant was apprehended,” he said.

The engineer’s friend, an Egyptian accountant, testified: “The defendant, our friend and I were playing Play Station at the coffee shop. A heated argument happened between the waiter and the 27-year-old and they exchanged insults.”

The accused was quoted as admitting to prosecutors that he cursed the victim.

The primary judgement remains subject to appeal within 15 days.