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Tag: Amos Yee

  • Amos Yee Reportedly Robbed By Muscular Fellow Inmate

    Amos Yee Reportedly Robbed By Muscular Fellow Inmate

    Recently in prison Amos has been repeatedly robbed by a man named Emmanuel Reyes, also known as “Bubba.” Reyes is a 6’4” (1.93 m) 250 lbs (113.4 kg) muscular Black man covered in tattoos. Reyes is in prison for illegal weapons charges and for assault. Reyes was in possession of an illegal gun and he beat up his cousin after his cousin wanted to evict Reyes over constant noise complaints.

    Prisoners are allowed to purchase additional food and snacks at the prison kiosk with money sent to their commissary account by family and friends. Amos receives money on his account thanks to donations from people who care about him and is able to buy additional food.

    Reyes began targeting Amos and numerous other prisoners to intimidate and steal food from. Reyes specifically targeted Amos, Amos’s Filipino friend, Asians, and the elderly as he viewed them as easy targets. Reyes was recently placed into solitary confinement after attacking another inmate. Reyes approached a 72-year-old inmate and demanded that the man give him his chips. The 72-year-old man refused to give up his food so Reyes beat him badly.

    During Reyes’s solitary confinement, Amos requested that he be moved to a different part of the prison due to harassment. The prison honored his request. Amos’s Filipino friend, Jay, also made the same request for the same reason and was also transferred. Amos and his friend Jay are now safe after that ordeal.

     

    Source: Amos Yee

  • The Economist Got Reminded – Bigotry And Hate Speech Is Not Free Speech

    The Economist Got Reminded – Bigotry And Hate Speech Is Not Free Speech

    High Commissioner to the UK Foo Chi Hsia has responded to an article by The Economist, saying it is not true teen blogger Amos Ye was prosecuted here for political dissent and not for making vicious statements about Christians and Muslims as implied in the report.

    On Mar 30, The Economist published the article, titled An outspoken Singaporean blogger wins asylum in America, which talked about how a US immigration judge granted Yee asylum, and the reasons for doing so. The article cited the judge’s reasons, including that while the blogger was legally prosecuted under Singapore law, his prosecution served a “nefarious purpose – namely, to stifle political dissent”.

    In a response published by the UK-based weekly on Apr 12, Ms Foo, referencing specific comments against Christians and Muslims made by Yee in 2015 and 2016, said The Economist may agree with the US judge that such bigotry is free speech, but Singapore “does not countenance hate speech” as it has “learnt from bitter experience how fragile racial and religious harmony is”.

    She added that contrary to the suggestion in the article, Singapore’s laws on contempt do not prevent fair criticisms of court judgements.

    “Singapore’s court judgments, including on Mr Yee’s case, are reasoned and published, and can stand scrutiny by anyone, including The Economist.”

    This is not the first time Ms Foo has responded to an article by The Economist. In March this year, she took issue with an article alleging restrictions on free speech in Singapore, saying that no country gives an absolute right to free speech.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Commentary: Imam Fined, Amos Yee Received Jail Term, Pastor Got Warning. Why The Difference?

    Commentary: Imam Fined, Amos Yee Received Jail Term, Pastor Got Warning. Why The Difference?

    Salam admin,

    I am a bit relieved the case of the Imam’s controversial remarks has been resolved in a manner that is amicable to all parties. Everyone should get their just desserts for the mistakes that they have committed, and now they got it.

    But I’m not saying that all were grave mistakes though particularly for the Imam. I don’t think he meant to incite violence against Jews or Christians in general. It probably stemmed from indulgence of religious rhetoric that has become habitual among some unenlightened preachers, and perhaps their environment.

    However in times where the threat of terrorism is consuming the world, what he explicitly said triggered what we least want to happen in Singapore – racial disharmony. Sadly, such incident shows how fragile Singapore’s social cohesion is.

    With that said, how is this case different from what happened to Amos Yee several months ago? Why did he receive a heavier punishment for a similar ‘crime’ he committed? Oh i sure you know what he did to purposely wound the feelings of Muslims and Christian.

    The difference is that Amos was given prison sentence for intending to wound religious feelings whereas the Imam was fined for making offensive remarks against Christians and Jews. Can the government enlighten the people what ‘crime’ constitutes a jail term and what for a fine.

    Additionally, not many people remember this but 7 years ago, a Senior Pastor from the Lighthouse Evangelism independent church made insensitive, disparaging remarks about Buddhism. He was derogatory about Buddhist concepts like karma and nirvana but he wasn’t charged. In fact, all Rony Tan had to do was to apologise for his troubles. What he got in the end was just a warning from the government.

    Now the burning question is why was the imam fined and yet Amos received a jail term and the pastor got a warning?

     

    Reader’s Contribution

    Kat

  • Amos Yee Allegedly In Solitary Confinement In The US For Insulting Muslims In Jail

    Amos Yee Allegedly In Solitary Confinement In The US For Insulting Muslims In Jail

    According to a Facebook post which has since been deleted, teen blogger Amos Yee is currently in solitary confinement for criticising Muslims and Islam during their Muslim Studies in jail; and that he is feeling terrible about it.

    According to Nina Palay who set up the relocation fund appeal for Yee, this is what happened.

    “He attended a Muslim Studies class, in order to “disagree”. There was a “Muslim pastor” from outside (not a prisoner) and about 18 Muslim prisoners in attendance. Amos called Allah a “sky wizard”. He said that if the religion is 5,000 years old then it’s “complete fucking garbage”. (He said “fuck” a lot). He said that the Quran has passages instructing the devout to kill non-Muslims; the pastor handed him the Quran and challenged him to show such passages, and when Amos said “Ok, I will”, the pastor took the Quran back.

    The pastor claimed “The Quran was the most respected and popular book in the U.S.”

    The pastor said Amos was disturbing the peace or something and got Sergeant R.Henson to sign a form putting him in solitary. Amos is certain that he is in solitary for punitive reasons, not for his own protection.

    He has been in solitary for 3 days. He doesn’t know how long he will be there. They don’t let him write, don’t give him paper. They let him out for one hour per day.

    Amos was “kicking, screaming, and banging the door yelling “LET ME OUT”, other prisoners heard him, the “police” came, opened his door, took a look, and left.

    Amos wants us to “tell his story” on Facebook, share with the global secular human rights movement, get on CNN and the Rubin Report. He wants the Rubin Report to interview me and Melissa to tell Amos’s story. “These people don’t know what they’re messing with. We gotta destroy them.” “MAKE IT BIG”. “This is a free speech issue and everyone will be on my side”.

    ++++

    My main concern right now is for Amos’s mental health. Solitary must be making it much worse.”

     

    Source: www.theindependent.sg

  • Amos Yee May Have To Wait Years In Asylum Bid

    Amos Yee May Have To Wait Years In Asylum Bid

    HONG KONG – Controversial Singaporean blogger Amos Yee, who is currently seeking asylum in the United States, may face years of waiting before knowing if he will be granted citizenship, according to his lawyer.

    The 18-year-old was taken into custody after he landed at Chicago O’Hare Airport on Dec 16. He is currently detained at the McHenry County jail.

    His lawyer, Ms Sandra Grossman, said Amos was likely to have been detained because he entered the US on a tourist visa, despite “an intention to apply for asylum or remain” in the country, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

    To obtain political asylum, the teenage blogger would have to be assessed by an asylum official to determine if he faces a “credible fear of persecution or torture”, a process that usually takes days to complete.

    If he passes the assessment, he would likely be released from detention and allowed to remain in the US while awaiting a court hearing on his asylum bid.

    But the holiday season could delay his assessment, and it would take years before Amos gets the chance to appear before a judge, due to backlogs in the immigration system, Ms Grossman added.

    “Once his case goes before an immigration judge, I think his chances are extremely high,” she was quoted by SCMP as saying.

    Amos first came to the attention of the authorities back home last year when he posted a video online making offensive remarks about former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and insulting Christianity.

    He later served two prison terms for wounding religious feelings. He was jailed for four weeks in July last year and sentenced to six weeks’ jail in September this year.

     

    Source: www,straitstimes.com