Lebanon arrests 'false prophet' after social media storm

A Lebanese man who said he was a prophet was arrested in Beirut on Monday after he caused a social media row with Egyptian Twitter users.

Nashat Munther posted a series of posts on his page, which was entitled "The Prophet Nashat Majd Noor, peace be upon him", claiming to be a prophet sent by God. He posted numerous testimonials he said were from followers who claimed to have felt "light" in his presence.

On one occasion, he banned Egyptians from following his teachings, which led to widespread ridicule.

الأمن اللبناني يلقي القبض على المدعو "#النبي_نشأت_مجد_النور" والأخير يعترف بأنه ليس نبي!!🤦‍♂️😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/p1jkXpOKwX

— 🌴عـٜٜلـوشـ الـڪـرٰخ᪳᪲✨🏅 (@alosheofficial) January 27, 2022

Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper reported that the General Directorate of State Security in Lebanon arrested Munther, accusing him of several charges, including claiming to be a prophet, threatening  journalists, and insulting a "friendly country" in reference to Egypt.

He is currently under investigation.

After he gained notoriety in the Middle East, older photos showing him playing drums at a casino were shared by social media users.