Religious Tolerance & Violence

"Mobs Destroy 3 [Christian] Churches in C.[entral] Java"
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 02/08/2011 12:58 PM | Headlines

Mobs destroyed three churches in Temanggung, Central Java, on Tuesday in violence that broke out following a blasphemy hearing against defendant Antonius Richmond Bawengan. The angry crowd set the Bethel Church and Pantekosta Church on fire, and threw stones at Santo the Petrus and Paulus Church, kompas.com reported Tuesday. Stores in the city were closed and traffic was reportedly chaotic because of the violence. During the hearing, prosecutors had demanded the court sentence Antonius to five years in prison for his alleged blasphemy against Islam via books and articles in October 2010.

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The article above does a very poor job of reporting the news and the facts.  The only parts of WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW that the article addresses is the WHEN and WHERE part.

First let's have an understanding of WHAT "blasphemy" in Indonesia actually is in the first place, WHO or WHAT the defendant is, WHO the "angry mob" is, WHY they were moved to such violence and WHAT [type] of churches were destroyed. 

Indonesia prohibits "blasphemy" in its Criminal Code. Article 156(a) of the Criminal Code targets those who deliberately, in public, express feelings of hostility, hatred, or contempt against religions with the purpose of preventing others from adhering to any religion, and targets those who disgrace a religion. The penalty for violating Article 156(a) is a maximum of five years imprisonment.


Article 156(a) is the complement to a decree enacted by President Sukarno and implemented by President Soeharto, namely, Presidential Decree No. 1/PNPS/1965 on the Prevention of Blasphemy and Abuse of Religions. Article 1 of the decree prohibits the “deviant interpretation” of religious teachings, and mandates the President to dissolve any organization practicing deviant teachings.

The defendant is obviously a Christian or person of another faith or belief system speaking out against Islam or Muslims.

The angry mob is obviously comprised of Muslims.

The type of churches that were targeted are Christian churches.

As far as WHY is concerned, one can only assume that the "angry mob" was not satisfied with the prosecutors' demand that the Court sentence the defendant to the maximum term of incarceration for the offense as stipulated in the Indonesian criminal or penal code.

Is the defendant in a criminal trial being found guilty and being sentenced to the maximum "punishment" under the law not enough for the "angry mob"?  Was the violence and destruction of property really justified? Perhaps the answer to these two questions may lie in the Qur`ān.



DISCLAIMER:  This post shall in no way be construed as "blasphemy" in and of itself, as it merely reports the news and the FACTS.  No "deliberate public expression of hostility, hatred, or contempt against religions with the purpose of  preventing others from adhering to any religion, nor any disgrace of a religion" has been conveyed in this post.

LOL  (I am allowed to laugh out loud to myself in Indonesia, aren't I ?)  The party that has disgraced themselves has been clearly identified....

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Final thoughts:

It would appear that the "blasphemy" law in Indonesia is targeted mainly towards or against Christians.  I would challenge the reader of this post to scour public records or conduct legal research and show me ONE case where a Muslim was indicted, charged, brought to trial AND sentenced for the "deliberate public expression of hostility, hatred, or contempt against religions [Christianity] with the purpose of  preventing others from adhering to any religion, or for any disgrace of a religion"  - in other words, BLASPHEMY!    Aren't the perpetrators of the violent and disruptive acts during the trial and the intentional and deliberate destruction of [Christian] churches that subsequently followed guilty themselves of "blasphemy" and hate crimes?  Incidentally, Indonesia does not appear to have any legislation on hate crimes.

Human Rights Watch group has stated, "The Indonesian authorities' pattern of ineffectiveness reflects a political, legal, and social framework that propagates a culture of religious discrimination."

To read the November 2010, Human Rights Watch letter to President Yudhoyono regarding freedom of religion, please see:


http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/11/04/indonesia-uphold-religious-freedom

http://www.hrw.org/node/94058

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Indonesia, please see:

http://www.hrw.org/en/asia/indonesia

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The U.S. Ambassador at the Embassy of the United States in Jakarta issues a "Statement on Religious Violence in Indonesia":    http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/pr_02082011.html


February 8, 2011
Jakarta - The United States joins the vast majority of Indonesians in deploring the violence in Indonesia directed at members of the Ahmadiyah community that resulted in the deaths of three people and the wounding of several others over this past weekend.  We also note with concern the recent church burnings in Central Java.

President Yudhoyono’s statement condemning the attack on the Ahmadiyah and calling for an investigation underlines Indonesia’s commitment to the rule of law. We encourage the Indonesian government to continue to foster tolerance and protect the rights of all communities.

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Commentary:

Merely "calling for an investigation" (or forming a committee) does not underline a country's commitment to the rule of law.  This reminds me of what I witnessed the other day in Jakarta in the vicinity of Block M and the American Club.  I was stopped at a traffic light on a red light waiting to make a turn and there were several police positioned at the intersection directly in front of me.  They stood there and did NOTHING as packs of motorbike "gangs" ran the red light.  Traffic laws only apply to vehicular traffic, and motorbikes are free to do WHATEVER they want.   The same may be said of enforcement of laws or regulations on the Muslim community; it simply doesn't apply to them...

The REAL test of a country's commitment to the rule of law, Mr. Ambassador, is how uniform and objectively a country enforces those laws or regulations.  "Calling for an investigation" is meaningless.  Were the police at the intersection who stood there doing NOTHING has hordes of motorbikes ran the red light right in their presence "conducting an investigation" ?!

Moreover, as far as the U.S. Ambassador's assumption that the "vast majority of Indonesians deplore the [religious] violence" this may not be entirely correct or a valid assumption.  The "vast majority" in Indonesia are Muslims, AND the Qur`ān actually calls for violence and intimidation.  This is not an opinion, read it for yourself.

Here is what someone had to say below as a comment posted on the Jakarta Post news article:  I have retained a copy for my records in the event that it gets moderated out or off of their site.  I did not write this below, but here is what another "author" has to say.  You read it and decide for yourself...

Lauren, Palembang | Tue, 08/02/2011 - 23:02pm

INDONESIA LISTEN UP. Your country has degenerated into sectarian mob violence. All you "moderate" Muslims need to get off your prayer mats and start defending the civil values you supposedly stand for. Let me tell you that Islam cannot hide its ugly face for much longer. There isn't a burqa big enough to cover the global atrocities committed in the name of Islam and Indonesia's tolerant monniker is nothing but a shameful farce. Indonesians are demonstrating to the world, the hideous group mentality of Muslim people, who fly into irrational rage at the printing of a leaflet or the fact that some "deviant" Muslims believe there was another prophet after Muhammad. Islam is a religion of peace? Read the friggin book moderates. 61% is devoted to kafirs and how much they are despised. Lets review some of the Quranic verses that are inscribed with hate and violence and that legitimate the lunacy of Islamic mobs.

Quran (2:191-193) - "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]...and fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah."

Quran (2:244) - "Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things."

Quran (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."

Quran (3:151) - "Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority".

Quran (4:74) - "Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward."

Quran (4:76) - "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…"

Quran (4:89) - "They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks."

Quran (4:95) - "Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward,-"

Quran (4:104) - "And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy; if you suffer pain, then surely they (too) suffer pain as you suffer pain..."

Quran (5:33) - "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement"

Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"

The religion of peace? What sort of bullshit is that?

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In an astonishing twist of irony, I just had a Muslim on a motorbike arrive at my front door asking for money.  I politely declined as he did not speak English (nor I Bahasa) and could not answer me why or for what purpose he was collecting money; although I believe it was for a local Mosque.  I did not ask him to make a contribution to my Christian church.  Oddly enough, this was the ONLY house on the street that he stopped by as I witnessed him get back on his motorbike and drive off.  I believe in doing charitable work or deeds by the way, even for people of other faiths, but only when it is LEGITIMATE and for a just cause....

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See also my related article on Religious Freedom in Indonesia

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Update March 16, 2011:

A family member in Washington, DC sent me the editorial section of The Washington Times newspaper dated Wednesday February 23, 2011.  In a Letter to the Editor, Jack Duckworth from Burke, Virginia writes the following editorial,

"Indonesia's supposed tolerance:

President Obama has gone on record praising Indonesia's "spirit of tollerance" as exemplary.  Is he kidding, or is he just in the dark about the country where he spent his formative years?

More than 900 churches in Indonesia have been firebombed by Muslim extremists since 1998.  Perhaps Mr. Obama meant Indonesia's Christians have been models of tolerance by turning the other cheek."