Saturday, June 16, 2012

Another religious travesty in Indonesia...

Once again religious intolerance has burst into the open in Indonesia, where a judge sentenced a professed atheist to two and a half years in prison instead of prosecuting the mob that chased him down and beat him badly after he posted his lack of religious affiliation on Facebook.

Over the objections of activists and a wide range of international organizations, a West Sumatran court Thursday sentenced Alexander Aan, a 32-year-old Sumatran civil servant, to prison while those who attacked him faced no justice.

Among other things, Aan was accused of uploading three articles critical of the Prophet Mohammad including one describing the prophet as being attracted to his daughter-in-law – which, according to Muslim Hadiths, or narratives of the sayings or customs of the prophet and his companions, was true. Mohammad was said to have fallen in love with Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, while she was the wife of Zayd bin Harithah, his own adopted son. The website also carried another tale in which Mohammad had slept with Mariyah, a Copt who was a maid to one of the prophet’s other wives – which was also taken from a Hadith.

 The sentence for Aan is the latest in a string of such prosecutions in an increasingly ugly religious atmosphere which is being perpetrated by a relatively small handful of extremists in a country that has long been characterized by tolerance. Most recently the Islamic Defenders Front, the most violent of the groups, forced the cancellation of a sold-out performance by the popular entertainer Lady Gaga. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. Atheist in Indonesia jailed for two and a half years, fined US$11,100...
  2. Indonesia's increasing religious intolerance...
  3. Indonesia, Lady Gaga and the FPI's street theatrics...
  4. Mob in Indonesia attacks and kills 3 'heretic' Muslims...
  5. Indonesia Ahmadiyah killings: victim jailed for defending himself...
  6. Cancelled Lady Gaga concert gives Indonesia "international black eye..."
  7. Atheist in Maldives who rejected Islam "hangs himself..."

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