Blasphemy Arrests in Batam

… be there.

Other recent cases of heretic hunting include:
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/37/blasphemy-suspect-charged/
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/91/indonesian-newspaper-website-publishes-cartoons/
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/118/ahmadiyah-the-state-heresy/
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/130/abdul-rahman-blasphemer/.

Religion & Religiosity

Rima says religion and religiosity are to blame for much of Indonesia's, and the world's, troubles.

Why religion doesn't matter at all

Once upon a time, Indonesia was well-known in the world as a nation of peace, tolerance and religious pluralism. Other countries even made us their example, a country full of people with various religious beliefs, from various ethnic and language …

Comment by Lairedion: … Mgr John Joseph, blasphemy martyr, remembered But …

My Friend the Fanatic

Sadanand Dhume's My Friend the Fanatic - Travels with an Indonesian Islamist .

My Friend the Fanatic - Travels with an Indonesian Islamist tells the story of Indian journalist Sadanand Dhume's journey across Indonesia and his meetings with political, cultural, and religious figures in 2004, and is written from the standpoint that the country is being torn between two forces, …

Comment by Shloka: … death sentence for blasphemy and the Late Khomeini said, …

SKB Ahmadiyah

… would be immediately arrested and charged under Article 156a of the Criminal Code dealing with blasphemy, he said. detik

Comment by Patung: … religion? If blasphemy actually is a prosecutable …

FPI, Komando Laskar Islam & Munarman

Arrests of dozens of Front Pembela Islam and Komando Laskar Islam members in Jakarta, and forced closures of FPI branches in central and eastern Java.

FPI - Jakarta

On 4th June 58 members of the Front Pembela Islam (FPI, Islam Defenders Front) were arrested at FPI headquarters in central Jakarta. The leader of Komando Laskar Islam [KLI], the sub-group of the FPI said to be …

Comment by Shloka: … tried for blasphemy or put into the slightest …

Blaming the Victim & Others

Explanations for the FPI violence at Monas, blaming the victims, the government, and foreign plots.

Ahmadiyah

Head of the Muslim Lawyers' Team (Tim Pengacara Muslim,TPM), Mahendradatta, says the Monas incident was caused by the AKKBB side making deliberately provocative speeches, saying such as things as

the FPI are Laskar Kafir (Infidels' Front) and Laskar Setan (Satan's …

Comment by Shloka: … 1% Hindus and has blasphemy laws of death only for Islam, …

I Gede Winasa

… the streets by Islamic organisations in Banyuwangi against her. The protestors accused Ratna of blasphemy against Islam, and some were heard to complain that her husband was a Balinese Hindu.

Bali Election

The other main candidates for Bali governor, Cokorde Budi Suryawan from Golkar, and Made Mangku Pastika from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), appear to be almost certainly Hindus, 100%.

Modern Day Witch Hunt

… was no one left to speak out.

Stop the persecution of Jamaah Ahmadiyah members! Defend Ahmadiyah!

Comment by Rob: … as it regulates blasphemy and presumably acitivities …

Ahmadiyah (Nearly) Banned

… Ministry) to be issued banning the sect, based on Article 156 of criminal code, the law against blasphemy, which carries penalties of up to five years jail. l6

Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs of Widodo Adi Sutjipto said on the 17th that a decree would shortly be prepared. antara

However Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said the decree would not outlaw the group. tempo

Trials

Maruf Amin of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) recommends the …

Khofifah Indar Parawansa

On whether women, in this case Khofifah Indar Parawansa, are suitable for regional leadership positions.

On 28th March Suryadharma Ali of the Development Party, Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) announced the candidacy of Khofifah Indar Parawansa for the East Java governor's election in July.

Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Khofifah is the head of the womens' wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, …

Religious Cults & Religious Freedoms

Pressure on the government to enact special laws against religious cults, blasphemy trials in Jambi, and the United Nations showing interest.

Laws
On March 7th at the Islamic Book Fair in Jakarta Kholil Ridwan of the Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI), while discussing a newly released book called "Nabi-Nabi Palsu" (False Prophets), said the government needed to make a law against deviant Islamic sects.
There should be a special law for …

The Last Supper

Likely criminal charges against Tempo magazine for blasphemy against Christianity.

The 4th-10th February edition of Tempo magazine carried on its front cover this picture, for a story tempo titled "Setelah Dia Pergi", "After He's Gone", showing former president Soeharto having dinner with his six children:

Soeharto's Last Supper

The original:

The Last Supper

Given the picture's similarity to Leonardo da Vinci's …

Comment by Patrick: Blasphemy against Christians? Hardly …

Persecuted Church

Why there are so many attacks on churches in western Java.

Persecuted Churches Nationally

On 14th January members of the Himpunan Warga Gereja Indonesia (HAGAI), Indonesian Churchgoers Association, visited the offices of the National Human Rights Commission, (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta to complain about attacks against churches and Christian congregations around the country.

Pastor …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … 6.9.4) an absolute blasphemy in the eyes of Muslims - it …

Bahai

… is a sect within Islam. If so, then the converts, or their leaders, can likely be prosecuted for blasphemy. Depag also wants to find out how Bahai has been spread in the area, because if it is being preached at people who already hold a religion, then that may also constitute a crime, he said. antara

November 8th. Two out of the seven households that converted to Bahai are said to have returned to Islam, after the two heads of the households, Mulahi (70) and Muslimin (40), met …

Comment by iamisaid: … be prosecuted for blasphemy. And one week later, those …

Most Influential Women

The most influential women in Indonesia.

Globe Asia's list of the Top 99 most powerful Indonesian women , not the " hottest " (although Agnes Monica is on both lists): globeasia ririanwar

Megawati Soekarnoputri - Former President of Indonesia Sri Mulyani Indrawati - Minister of Finance Kristiani Herawati Yudhoyono - Indonesia's First Lady Miranda Gultom - …

Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah

… informed the police of its decision, in the hope that Ahmad Moshaddeq would be prosecuted for blasphemy against Islam. tempo

Police Action

After the fatwa, in Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah's home base of Bogor, police sealed off two villas belonging to Ahmad Moshaddeq on 5th October, apparently to prevent any attacks on the properties from aggressively orthodox-minded Muslims.

Meanwhile in Padang, West Sumatra, similar to last year's legal-police assualt on the Jamiyatul …

Comment by HeavenlySword: … “This is blasphemy! This is madness” Can.. …

Batam Nightlife

The nightspots of Batam are urged to close down for Ramadhan.

Chairman of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Ma'ruf Amin urged the owners of bars, discos, and probably brothels on the holiday island of Batam to close down entirely while Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan.

They make plenty of profit over 11 months, it's not too much to ask them to close …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: … penis as well? Blasphemy in Islam is a serious sin. …

Learning Islam

Indonesian Muslims still have some way to go in learning Islam.

The minister of religion, Maftuh Basyuni said on 4th August that Islam did not teach violence or radicalism, and radicalism could not be allowed to flourish Indonesia because most people were opposed to it and it had no basis in the Quran. He advised people to not only read the Quran a lot but to learn it and understand …

Comment by Mohammed Khafi: … innocent of (your blasphemy of) joining others with …

Pantheism & Siti Jenar

… him.

Policeman Triyono however says that Mathal will not be charged with any offence, like blasphemy, and that he is being kept in custody only for his own safety.

Once things have settled down we'll let him go.

Mathal himself, who is only a graduate of primary school, says:

I'm really sorry.

He admits that his studies of the teachings of Siti Jenar may need some more time and work. tempo

Javanese Terrorists

The Javanese are more likely to become terrorists than other ethnic groups.

Professor Azyumardi Azra, a liberal Muslim intellectual and former rector of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN; State Islamic University) in Jakarta, said on June 23rd how surprised he was that most terrorists in Indonesia were of Javanese origin, given the fact that the Javanese are often not known for their …

Comment by Shiva: … being accused of blasphemy or unbelief,which is …

Violations of Human Rights

Sharia, caning, and violations of human rights.

IAIN professor of Islamic law in Banda Aceh, Ar Raniry Al Yasa' Abubakar, says:

There are some concerns that Islamic law violates human rights.

The application of sharia in Aceh was not yet complete or perfect, he said, and still needed time, and besides it represented the will of God.

In Indonesia this is the first time sharia …

Comment by Shiva: … as any hint of Blasphemy and Apostacy always attracts …

Dark Rooms

Heresy in Banten usually occurs in dark rooms.

After the recent True Islam (" Islam Sejati ") sect case in Lebak, Banten, another heretical Islam sect is now said to exist in Nyompok village, Kopo, Serang, Banten, according to the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI). Like Islam Sejati this new sect, which doesn't seem to have a name yet, conducts some of their religious activities in dark rooms, …

Comment by Dimp: … = Rp. 1000 2. Blasphemy = Rp. 2500 3. Adultery = Rp. …

Pagan Rituals

Indonesian Muslims are urged to defend their practice of Islam against accusations of paganism.

The leader of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), for Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) province in the east of the country, Syaiful Muslim, warned Muslims, particularly those on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, to be on guard against beliefs brought by people from the middle east. …

Comment by R. Patterson: … is considered blasphemy against allah. The Arabs who …

Christianisation

Christianisation through sodomy, hypnosis, and kidnapping is rampant in Indonesia.

It is often heard that Indonesia is subject to a process of Christianisation, one example being an old article by one Herry Nurdi in Sabili magazine - "Alert! Christianization is Attacking Campuses" (ALERT! KRISTENISASI MENYERBU KAMPUS), the word "attack" having the sense of "in great numbers" or "stampede", …

Comment by Suhada: … It would be such a blasphemy! And I do believe that the …

Islam is for Arabs

… metrotv

Toyib has been charged under Article 156a of the criminal code dealing with blasphemy, while Rochamim has not yet been charged but is still in custody. Policeman Jebul Jatmoko says that Toyib is the one who spread the teachings to others.

Meanwhile about 30 of Rochamim's neighbours thronged the Pasuruan police station today to give evidence against the suspect. One of these people, Gus Muhammad, said he couldn't stand the presence of Rochamim's religious group in the …

Indonesian Muslims, & Jews

Visitor Askan asks whether Indonesian Muslims are congenitally hostile to America and Israel.

Hi everyone here.

I've visited this site before, and as someone with a high level of interest in both East Asia and the Islamic world and had some questions about the country I've always wanted to find answers to.

First off, when did so many Indonesians become such a "pan-Arabic" …

Comment by Colson: … me that is almost blasphemy.

Dinesh D’Souza

… right way - women understand that their role is different from mens', homosexuals are invisible, blasphemy is illegal, pornography is banned, modesty is enforced. Those who criticise Islamic countries for forcing women to cover up are guilty of "Islamophobia".

The Quran says homosexuals will meet a terrible doom, he says approvingly. Palestinian terrorists have to be understood, - and the Israelis bulldozed their homes after all. Suicide bombing is sort of noble, it shows the underlying …

Jakarta Chinese

Governor Sutiyoso of Jakarta wants a fair deal for the city's Chinese.

On the occasion of Chinese New Year, or Imlek, Governor Sutiyoso promised to make it easier for the city's Chinese to obtain official documents, such as birth certificates, family cards, local residency papers, and even citizenship, while visiting the Wihara Dharma Bakti temple in Glodok on the 18th. tempo

"Bang …

Comment by Dragonwall: … to be charge for blasphemy than this guy should be …

Yusuf Lakaseng

PBR leader Yusuf Lakaseng has been reported to the police for blasphemy against Islam by Zaenal Ma'arif.

Zaenal Ma'arif, the one of the chairman of the Indonesian parliament, was expelled from the Partai Bintang Reformasi (PBR) on 8th January 2007 due to the fact that he had, in late December 2006, took a second wife and thereby become polygamous (see Zaenal Maarif ). The expulsion of Zaenal from the Partai Bintang Reformasi was likely based on two …

Hizbut Tahrir

Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) champions polygamy and rails against gender equality and domestic violence laws.

Aminah Yunus Rasyid of the Medan, North Sumatra branch of HTI said on the 19th of December during a demonstration outside the mayor's office that the ideology of gender equality was a part of the trend towards liberalisation originating in the west that was being forced on …

Comment by Grace and Mercy: … in those times. Blasphemy is punishable by stoning. …

Poligami Award

An Islamic court in West Sumatra puts on trial Aa Gym and Yahya Zaini .

The Majelis Tinggi Kerapatan Adat Alam Minangkabau , or the Minangkabau Traditional Culture High Council, in cooperation with the Komite Penegak Syariat Islam Sumatra Barat , the West Sumatra Committee for the Application of Islamic Sharia Law, held a mock trial of polygamist Abdullah Gymnastiar and adulterer …

Comment by Mohammed Khafi: … dissent with blasphemy. Thousands of Muslim …

Hand Amputation

It is proposed that thieves in Aceh have their hands amputated.

According to international reports iht a draft law in circulation proposes that thieves found guilty of stealing goods worth more than the market price of 94 grams (3 ounces) of gold should have a hand amputated, a punishment which is said to be stipulated in the Koran, and is carried out in a few Islamic countries.

The …

Comment by Mohammed Khafi: … uttering such a blasphemy. Instead, His both …

Religion of Peace

Muslim extremists and radicals misunderstand their religion, says a senior cleric.

Hasyim Muzadi of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) says terrorists and radicals who operate under an Islamic banner have just misunderstood the teachings of Islam, particularly in the area of war.

The concept of war and jihad have to be understood within the context of the time of Muhammad, he says. Muhammad …

Comment by JKS: … may consumed as blasphemy or spreading hatred as most …

Sholat in Indonesian

… and imprisoned in a Probolinggo jail for 18 months. Yusman says that he wasn't convicted of blasphemy, specifically, (law 156 A) but of spreading hatred in society (law 157). He distributed leaflets to people detailing his beliefs on the use of Indonesian in sholat services.

He advised that the government should give room for people to conduct worship according to their beliefs because Indonesia was a democratic nation.

April 4th 2007.

The Malang chapter of the …

Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman

… iht One wonders whether Indonesian police have ever given any thought to applying the country's blasphemy laws to those who publish writings on the internet.

__________________

February 23rd 2007.

Suleiman was sentenced to four years prison. detik

Comment by Aluang anak Bayang: … country’s blasphemy laws to those who publish …

Muazzez Ilmiye Cig

… not as bad as Turkey", if the case of Muazzez Ilmiye Cig is anything to go on.

While the blasphemy laws in Indonesia claim their fair share of victims, such as Yusman Roy and Lia Eden, 92 year old academics who make scholarly comments on the origins of the headscarf, or jilbab, are likely to be safe, assuming any such people exist in Indonesia. They are not so in Turkey.

The Australian reports: aust

An eminent 92-year-old Turkish archaeologist is to go on trial for …

Danish Cartoon Crisis II

Another Muhammad cartoon controversy in Denmark has stirred ill-will among some Indonesian Muslims.

On the 6th Danish state television aired some amateur video footage showing young members of the anti-immigrant Danish Peoples' Party engaged in a competition to draw humiliating cartoons of Mohammad. The filming of the cartoon drawing was done secretly by an "undercover agent" who was …

Comment by Suhada: … It’s a blasphemy, but it never challenge our …

Freedom of Religion Report

… & Ratna Bangun ].
Article 156 of the criminal code makes spreading hatred, heresy, and blasphemy punishable up to five years in jail. Although the law applies to all officially recognized religions, it is most often applied to cases involving Islam. This law was used in a number of cases during the reporting period.
The question of implementing Sharia generated controversy and concern during the period covered by this report. Aceh remained the only province within the country in …

Atheism

A proposed widening of the scope of anti-blasphemy laws could see atheists prosecuted.

The criminal code already contains one article outlawing blasphemy against, or criticism of, any of the major religions in Indonesia (although in practice it is usually only applied in the case of Islam). Now in proposed revisions to the overarching body of law for crime, Rancangan KUHP (RKUHP), new articles are proposed, contained within a …

Strange Islam

… Muzadi made note of the case of Yusman Roy in Malang, East Java, a man who was convicted of blasphemy because he led Islamic prayers in two languages, Arabic and Indonesian.

Yusman Roy, blasphemer.

Another case, in Purwokerto, which seems to be similar to the Lia Eden affair, witnessed a Muslim man claim to be the archangel Gabriel. The man, says Hasyim, has already been dealt with by the relevant authorities.

Still again more blasphemy, this time in central Java, where a …

Blasphemy For Some

While the law against blasphemy is intended to protect all the main religions of Indonesia it is selectively enforced.

The Jakarta Post on the 19th published an opinion piece entitled "The gospel of Judas: Heresy or revelation?" in which Liem Khiem Yang tells us about the discovery of the gnostic gospel of Judas, which was condemned by bishop Irenaeus in 180 AD as heresy. In it we find that:

Judas is not …

Comment by Josef: … In fact it is blasphemy, because there should be no …

Mohamad Guntur Romli

Mohamad Guntur Romli of the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) is questioned by police over blasphemy allegations.

On June 13th Ahmad Chamid Baidlowi, a conservative Muslim cleric, reported Mohamad Guntur Romli to the police, as well as former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, and another JIL (Jaringan Islam Liberal) person, Arief Nurlambang (see http://www.indonesiamatters.com/447/gus-dur-blasphemer/ ).

Mohamad Guntur Romli.

The allegations of blasphemy arose …

Teguh Santosa

… Teguh's trial began on the 30th and he is charged under article 156a of the criminal code for blasphemy and inciting hatred. Prosecutors have demanded the maximum punishment, five years imprisonment.

Update 13th September

Teguh's defence team had forwarded a note of "exception" to the continuation of the trial, more or less an attempt to have the trial cancelled and the charges thrown out. Today the court formally denied the exception and the trial will now continue as normal …

Muslimah Gothess

As globalization advances strange and interesting mixes of cultures, East and West, are produced.

Muslimah Gothess.

Picture in the profile of a young online social butterfly at multiply.com, who calls herself "Dee Gothess" and hails from Jakarta. We only wish she had chosen a happier aspect of western culture than the god-awful Goth …

Comment by Abdul Latif: … name calling and blasphemy that has gone on here makes …

Playboy the Third & FPI Case

As the third edition of Indonesian Playboy comes out two men from the Islamic Defenders Front, FPI, go on trial for an instance of their earlier battle with the magazine.

Two of the men from the Front Pembela Islam (FPI), Zainal alias Ali Zaenal, and Agus Irawan alias Ustaz Agus ( picture ), arrested for taking part in a violent attack on the offices of Playboy on 12th April, while it …

Comment by Andrew: … be considered blasphemy, and you would say the person …

The Palestinian Cause

The issue of the "Palestinians" keeps occupying the minds of Islamic oriented political forces in the country.

On May 26th 2006 it is reported that House of Representatives (DPR) Chairman Agung Laksono says that the House will soon form a parliamentary caucus specifically to discuss the issue of "Palestine".

The caucus would be a manifestation of the Indonesian people's sympathy …

Comment by R. Patterson: … koran then it is blasphemy to research or study it. By …

Gus Dur, Blasphemer

… Muslim clerics reported the matter to the police, as they are entitled to under Indonesian blasphemy laws.

In Jakarta dozens of clerics from across Java came to the central Jakarta police station (Mabes Polri) to seek justice against Wahid. The Muslim holy men who made the complaint were grouped under the umbrella organisation "Forum Umat Islam", the Islamic Community Forum, which consists largely of members of well-known radical associations such as the Mujahidin Council (MMI), …

Comment by Shloka: … jailing for “blasphemy” bestselling Western …

Religious Bullying in Elections

… used by sitting mayors and regents, and their opponents, and mentioned the case of the charges of blasphemy leveled at the regent of Banyuwangi recently.

If mobs using religious symbols succeed in bringing down heads of regional governments then the same methods will be used in other areas.

See also Local & Regional Laws.

Liberal Muslims Locked Up

… Widi are of course fortunate that they live in Indonesia, a place where the maximum punishment for blasphemy is five years locked up. In other places they would meet a much worse fate. Nevertheless it is worth remembering cases like these, whenever one hears the phrase "moderate Islam" spoken of in a discussion of Indonesia. Moderate yes, to some extent, liberal, not yet.

Guarding Against Deviancy

… in terms of orthodox Islam, they are heretics and in Indonesian law they can be charged with blasphemy against Islam.

Preaching in Tasikmalaya

… custody.

He has now been locked up for more than fifty days awaiting trial on charges of blasphemy against Islam, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

He claims that while he has been in custody he has been visited several times by representatives of the Indonesian Ulema Council, MUI, and that these visitors have tried to force him to say the Syahadat and affirm himself as a Muslim. Having done this, they say, he will be free to go.

They know that I …

Religious Freedom Report

… women in these areas chose not to comply with the laws.

Yusman Roy - serving two years for blasphemy against Islam.

See more on sharia application. Many well-known cases of blasphemy are ignored, such as the Lia Eden case.

Religious Education

In June 2003, the National Assembly passed an education bill, which, if enforced, would require both public and private schools to provide religious instruction to their students. In the last year, the government had still not …

Ratna Ani Lestari

The leader of the East Java regency of Banyuwangi has been accused of blasphemy.

Muslim clerics in the town led a mass rally of thousands of people outside the local government office yesterday demanding that regent Ratna Ani Lestari stand down. The clerics complain darkly that the regent, a Muslim, practises a different religion from the one stated on her identity card, and cite as proof her marriage to the Hindu regent of Jembrana in Bali. She is an …

Yusman Roy in the LA Times

… entitled "Separation of Mosque and State Wanes in Indonesia" dealing with the persecution, under blasphemy laws, of Yusman Roy, who sits in prison for the crime of having led prayers at his local mosque in the language of his country and people - Indonesian.

The writer, Richard C. Paddock, visited Yusman Roy in prison and interviewed him.

The government and the [Indonesian Ulema] council have been working together to suppress my ideas. But this will not stop me from doing what I …

Freedom of Expression and the Media

… I prefer to look at cases of the little guy getting stomped on, and I notice the question of blasphemy is entirely absent from this report. It does sometimes concern journalists, like here but it's an issue perhaps consciously avoided in this report.

Report can be viewed here:
http://www.article19.org/pdfs/publications/indonesia-baseline-study.pdf

Abdul Rahman, Blasphemer

Another person in the Lia Eden cult has been charged with blasphemy, one Abdul Rahman.

Lia herself, the cult leader and archangel Gabriel impersonator , was arrested and charged in Jakarta last month and will soon go on trial for blasphemy which carries a maximum sentence of five years.

Abdul Rahman had been questioned previously. Now the police are saying that the man believes himself to be a reincarnation of "the prophet" Muhammad which …

Ahmadiyah

… for Religion, Maftuh Basyuni, has threatened the members of the Ahmadiyah sect with charges of blasphemy:

Unless Ahmadiyah changes its stance in regarding Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet. (Kecuali Ahmadiyah mengubah sikapnya, tidak menganggap Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sebagai nabi).

Ahmadiyah is a Muslim sect originating in Pakistan that holds, in contrast to orthodox Islam, that Muhammed was not the last prophet. There have a number of recent persecutions and attacks on them recently …

Indonesian Newspaper Website Publishes Cartoons

… matter and have declared they will investigate to ajudge whether the newspaper has violated the blasphemy law, recently employed in the case of Lia Eden.

In his apology the chief editor, Teguh Santosa, of the online newspaper said that it had published the cartoons only as part of its duty to inform the public on current events and had not wished to offend anyone.

Lia Eden

… If it weren't serious it would be funny.

December 31st 2005. Lia Eden is charged with blasphemy.

According to the Indonesian constitution, Article 28 (e):

(1) every citizen has the right to hold religious beliefs and pray according to these beliefs, choose their education and form of teaching, choose their job, choose their citizenship, live in this country, leave and return to the country; (2) every citizen has the right to hold personal beliefs and express their …