As the hearing of the blasphemy case registered against the Indonesia’s first non-Muslim governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, has begun today, the court has been equally pressured by the fundamentalist Islamic groups and right groups.On the first day of the trial, the court has witnessed several emotional situations. Several Islamic fundamentalist activists and right activists have gathered outside the court. The prosecution has alleged that Ahok insulted the Muslim community by misusing a Korean Verse which propagates Muslim should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Meanwhile, asserting that he has not insulted the Islam or any other religion or community, the Christian governor has denied all allegations triggered against him.
The world community is closely watching the developments of this case as it is a perfect test to analyse the religious tolerance observed by the Muslim-dominated nation. So, the pressure over the country’s judicial system is extremely high. If the governor is convicted by the court, he suffers at least five-year imprisonment. The right groups believe that the judicial authorities are extensively influenced by the hardline Islamist groups. It indicates the growth of the Islamic fundamentalist ideologies in the nation, they add. For last few days, the Muslim-Majority nation has been witnessing numerous protests demanding the arrest of the Christian government. The interesting fact is that most of these protests have been organized by the hardline Islamist groups. Notably, Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s largest Islamic group, has advised its members not to participate in the anti-Ahok protests. Indonesia is a Muslim-Majority country where the Christian community represents nearly ten per cent and Chinese represents around one per cent. Earlier, in 1998, an anti-Chinese sentiment had killed nearly one thousand people across the country.
Vignesh
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