Ahok guilty of blasphemy

On 9^th May 2017 the governor of Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama also known as Ahok was held guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment. He was convicted for insulting Islam and misusing the verses of the holy Quran during the election campaigns of 2016, which he claims to be false.

Who is Ahok?

Ahok was elected as the first ethnic Chinese Indonesian Governor after Henk Ngantung, who was the governor in1964–65 and post anti-Christian riots of 1998. He was recognised as a politician who voiced his opinions against corruption and implemented policies such as minimum wages, free school education and healthcare, reducing traffic congestion in Indonesia. Ahok was appointed in 2014 and stood for elections for a second term not only to secure his position but also to avoid jail term. Despite all his efforts he failed to convince the majority of his innocence.

How did Indonesia receive the verdict?

Supporters of Ahok have claimed the verdict is nothing but a political game. It is a strategy to incite communal violence in the country. Thousands of supporters took to the street protesting against the verdict. Slogans and songs are being sung. Today Ahok is being considered as the martyr of free speech and expression in the country. Ahok has now decided to appeal against his sentencing, raising the hopes of his supporters. On the other hand the opposition, who hoped for Ahok to be imprisoned for 5 years or in the best case scenario awarded with death penalty, were disappointed by the verdict of the court.

Assessment

Despite the fact that Indonesia is a Muslim majority country, its Constitution provides and preaches pluralism and religious harmony. The Constitution mandates the principle of Unity in Diversity amongst the six religious faiths existing in the country. Conviction of Ahok would further aggravate the already existing religious tensions in the country. Religion has the power to reform as well as destroy people. When religion is used to manipulate the innocent the results have always proven to be disastrous. In a country where people of different religions exist together and where the law of the land preaches for communal harmony, it is the duty of the politicians to not incite violence. Indonesia will continue to be in state of chaos unless a consensus is reached to respect and protect not just the majority but also the minority.