Governor denies insulting Muslims
INDONESIA: The embattled governor of Jakarta has emotionally told his trial for blasphemy that his own godparents had been Muslims and it would not be possible for him to insult the religion.
Thousands of police provided security as Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, was indicted for blasphemy in the Central Jakarta District court yesterday.
‘‘I am very sad that I have been accused of insulting Muslims. It is the same to me as insulting my godparents, my family,’’ Ahok told the courtroom.
Jakarta’s first openly ethnically Chinese and Christian governor told of how he was born to nonMuslim parents but was the godson, or adoptive son, of a religious Muslim family in Sulawesi.
‘‘My godparents’ love for me had a deep impact. My godbrother paid for my masters degree at the university,’’ he said.
In proceedings that were often almost drowned out by the shouting of protesters outside, Ahok emphasised his support for Muslims as governor of Jakarta.
He said he had changed work times during Ramadan so Muslims could break the fast and pray with their families, built mosques in building complexes and donated 2.5 per cent of his income, in a practice similar to zakat, a form of Islam alms giving.
According to the indictment, Ahok deliberately made a blasphemous statement in public, about a religion in Indonesia.
Prosecutors said Ahok gave a speech in which he said voters had been lied to by his opponents citing verse 51 from the fifth Surat, or chapter, of the Koran al-Maida.
‘‘That’s your right, so if you can’t choose me because you are afraid you will go to hell, that’s ok,’’ Ahok said in the speech according to the indictment. The indictment said Ahok had used alMaida to lie to and fool the community in the lead up to the Jakarta gubernatorial election.
Ahok, dressed in batik, turned to face the courtroom as he sat down, where he was recorded by a sea of smartphones.
He told the court that when he asked his Muslim friends about alMaida, they told him the scripture was from a time when there were Muslims who wished to kill Muhammad by forming coalitions with Christians and Jews.
‘‘So clearly it wasn’t intended to refer to choosing a government leader,’’ he said. ‘‘In Indonesia a government leader is not a religious leader.’’
Ahok said he was not trying to interpret al-Maida, let alone insult Islam or the ulama (Islamic scholars.)
‘‘[My comments] were aimed at elite politicians who incorrectly used the al-Maida verse because they refused to compete in a healthy way during a local election.’’
Ahok has gone from a robust lead in the polls ahead of next February’s gubernatorial election to trailing the other two Muslim candidates in the wake of the controversial remarks. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have called for him to be jailed for allegedly insulting Islam.
Ahok said he wanted the trial to understand that only God and the individual involved know their intention when they speak.
‘‘I hope the panel of judges do not accept the indictment and allow me to go back and serve the Jakarta people,’’ he said.
About 200 people from HASMI the Sunni Movement for Islamic Community - lined the street outside the court chanting ‘‘Arrest, arrest Ahok, do it now’’. Placards
said: ‘‘Arrest him who blasphemes against Islam’’.
Ahok has about 80 lawyers representing him in the high-profile case. One of these, Sirra Prayuna, told the court it was illogical to suggest Ahok intended to insult Islam, the religion the majority of Jakartans follow. - Fairfax