News: For boasting about his sex life, Saudi man was jailed & lashed, now released & changed

After spending five years in jail and receiving 1,000 lashes for boasting about his sex life on a satellite television program, a Saudi man has now become a “good person,” local media reported on Monday.

Mazen Abduljawad, a 37-year-old father, was released from a Jeddah prison last week. His sentence includes a prohibition on speaking to the media and a five-year travel ban for talking about his sexual exploits and fantasies, including showing off sex toys, for a Lebanese television channel in July 2009.
Abduljawad has reportedly had a big change of heart over the past five years.
He spent much of his sentence in Briman prison catching up on Islamic morals, a source said.
Several prison inmates had given Abduljawad a farewell party before his release, the source said.
More than 200 people had filed legal complaints against Abduljawad in 2009 for violating Islamic teachings and Saudi traditions.
Saudi bloggers have cautiously welcomed Abduljawad’s transformation.
“I hope his new appearance is sincere, not a camouflage for his past and a license to impose his new beliefs on others,” said Qati Ali.
“He came out a muezzin, but I hope we don’t see him fighting against the arts at book fairs and at Janadriyah,” said Mohammed Abdulrahim.
Mashael Al-Badrani said: “May Allah keep him firm in his new life. We shouldn’t be too harsh on him now because he has received his punishment.”
Many bloggers expressed the hope that he does not take up radical views after finding a new life in prison.