On Tuesday, Kuwaiti law professor Dr. Fatima Al Matar revealed she fled her country to the U.S. after being told she would be prosecuted over a joke deemed "insulting to God."
In a series of tweets, the woman explained why she - and her daughter - left the Gulf state for good and sought asylum in the states.
"I was referred to public prosecution over the linked tweet, they accused me of blasphemy, insulting God and misusing a phone! They sent me to trial because I asked God for a Ferrari and equal rights! I can no longer stand an abhorrent, hypocritical society. I no longer believe in a homeland that ridiculously jails its people," she wrote in one post.
In another, Al Matar commended the treatment she received at an asylum center she arrived to in the U.S.
"I am happy that I'll be starting a new life in a beautiful country that believes in the value and dignity of a human being. A place that believes in freedoms and rights. I am thrilled that my daughter will be getting a better life," she added.
Hours after she first posted her tweets, Al Matar's statement went viral on Kuwaiti Twitter and sparked a heated online debate.
Some stood against the professor for leaving the country and thought she should have fought against the lawsuit filed against her.
Others commended her decision and felt it was justified.
Some were against Al Matar's decision
"Fatima Al Matar or anyone else... Kuwait is a heaven and anyone who leaves it loses out, no matter what their reason for leaving is."
A few thought she should've seen the case through
However, many couldn't disagree more
Some defended her right to freedom of speech
"The fact that Fatima Al Matar had to seek asylum so far away sends a strong message. The government should stop persecuting the people of my country... when are you going to wake up?"
"Proud of you and honored to have met you, fighter"
