Thursday, May 11, 2017

Indonesian Governor Sentenced To 2 Years In Jail for Blasphemy

In Indonesia on Tuesday, Jakarta's outgoing governor, a Christian, was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in jail.  Comments about a verse in the Qur'an made during the campaign by the governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (also known as "Ahok"), played a major role in his defeat by a Muslim candidate.  According to The Atlantic:
While on a work trip late last year, Purnama claimed that Jakarta’s Islamic leaders were misrepresenting a principle in the Koran for political gains. The verse in question, which comes from the fifth chapter of the Koran, suggests that Muslims should not have non-Muslim leaders. Purnama implied that his opponents were using the verse to discriminate against Christian candidates like himself. He later apologized for the comments, but did not admit to any wrongdoing.