Extremism in Indonesia

What is the issue?

Recent actions of Indonesian government threaten the long-cherished unity in diversity of that nation.

What are the problems in Indonesia?

• Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Indonesia has serious religious extremism.
• About 88% of Indonesians are Muslim and the archipelago’s Chinese community has periodically been subject to massacres.
• There is a strong growing vigilante Islamism.
• Recently right wing extremist smashed up bars and disrupted concerts by Western pop musicians.
• The space for non-Muslims to make personal comments in public or on social media is shrinking.

What are the recent trails under blasphemy?

• According to Human Rights Watch, 16 people have been persecuted and sentenced for blasphemy in the last three years

• Recently governor of Jakarta who is a Chinese Christian was imprisoned on charges of blasphemy.
• Right-wing vigilante groups began alleging that he had committed blasphemy while on the campaign trail for his 2017 re-election.
• The ‘blasphemy’ consisted of telling voters that they shouldn’t be duped by religious leaders.
• He stated that few religious leaders misuse the Koranic verse Al-Maidah 51 to justify claims that Muslims should not have non-Muslim leaders. 

Source: The Hindu