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Dubai celebrity chef faces up to Dh1M fine for posting anti-Islam tweets

A celebrity chef in Dubai, UAE may stand trial after posting anti-Islam comments on social media platform Twitter.

Chef Atul Kochhar of the Rang Mahal Restaurant in Dubai Marriott Marquis hotel tweeted to Indian actress Priyanka Chopra that “Hindus have been terrorized by Islam [for] over 2000 years.”

Kochhar’s tweet was his response to the actress’ earlier tweet where she apologized for those offended by the portrayal of Hindus in her show, reported Arab News.

Kochhar’s tweet, which has been deleted, drew flak for its anti-Islam nature.

Netizens also tagged Dubai Police in their responses calling for authorities to sack the chef citing UAE Laws on use of online platform which bans sharing of hateful messages about different sectarian groups particularly Muslim and Islam.

The hotel where Kochhar worked has also fired the celebrity chef.

In a statement the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel said that they promote “a culture of diversity and inclusion for our guests and associates across the hotel and our restaurants”.

“Following the recent comments made by Chef Atul Kochhar, we have taken the decision to end our agreement with him for Rang Mahal. With the termination of our agreement, Chef Atul will no longer be associated with the restaurant,” officials of the hotel announced.

Kochhar has posted an apology on Twitter saying “There is no justification for my tweet, a major error made in the heat of moment on Sunday. I fully recognize my inaccuracies that Islam was founded around 1,400 years ago and I sincerely apologize. I am not Islamophobic, I deeply regret my comments that have offended many.”

Despite his apology, the celebrity chef could still face prosecution and may face punishment of imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of Dh500,000 to Dh1,000,000.

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