Posted on 12/12/2016 3:39:30 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Jakarta’s governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known by his nickname Ahok, will face the first day of his trial on charges of blasphemy on Tuesday.
Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, angered religious conservatives after he referenced a verse from the Islamic holy book, Al-Maidah 51 of the Qur’an, on the campaign trail in September. Ahok rather boldly told voters they should not be duped by religious leaders using the verse to justify the claim that Muslims should not be led by non-Muslims.
An edited version of that speech was later posted online with several words omitted, making it seem as though Ahok was suggesting the Qur’anic verse itself was misleading, not the Islamic leaders citing it.
A recent poll by Saiful Manjani Research and Consulting (SMRC) showed that more than 45% of Indonesians believe Ahok’s statement was blasphemous. However, 88% of those polled across the country said they were unaware of how exactly Ahok referred to the Qur’anic verse.
For a start, Indonesia’s strict 1965 blasphemy law, which makes it possible to prosecute Ahok for his provocative comments. Rights groups have long campaigned for the law to be revoked. In 2012, a civil servant from Sumatra was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for declaring himself an atheist on Facebook.
The second, more complicated, part of the answer appears to be politics. In the run-up to the Jakarta governor election in February there has been intense pressure from religious conservatives and hardliners, who have staged three colossal rallies since October calling for Ahok to be jailed for insulting Islam.
The rallies have put pressure on President Joko Widodo, leading the government to declare the case would be dealt with swiftly and would go to trial.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
A liberal paradise.
A simple, innocuous statement takes on a different context in mohammedland.
Having never lived in a Muslim country, I know he has a lot to fear. Islam is not a religion, it is a cult that tolerates no one who does not toe the line.
There is no such thing as a moderate muslim country.
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