Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", sits on the defendant's chair at the start of his trial hearing at North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Reuters

The blasphemy trial of the Indonesian capital’s minority Christian governor began on Tuesday after massive protests led by hard-line Muslim groups seeking his arrest.

Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, an ally of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.

The blasphemy controversy erupted in September when a video circulated online in which Mr. Ahok said people were being deceived if they believed his detractors who asserted that the Quran prohibits Muslims having a non-Muslim leader. He is seeking a second term as governor in elections due February.

A November 4 protest in Jakarta against Mr. Ahok turned violent, with one death and dozens injured. </s> Ahok is currently on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a pas... . Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama arrives for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at News9 Oklahoma City. </s> An Indonesian court has sentenced Jakarta's governor to two years in prison for blasphemy.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, said he will appeal the decision.

The Christian politician in the world's most populous Muslim country was accused of blasphemy during his re-election campaign last year when a video surfaced of him telling voters they were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran prohibited Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader.

Purnama's popularity plummeted after the charges, and he eventually lost the election in a runoff vote last month. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Prosecutors on Thursday recommended two years of probation for the minority Christian governor of the Indonesian capital who is on trial for blaspheming the Quran.

The relatively light sentencing demand comes a day after Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama was swept out of office by a landslide election victory for a Muslim rival backed by conservative clerics.

The maximum penalty for blasphemy in Muslim-majority Indonesia is five years in prison. Prosecutors recommended one year prison if Ahok violates his probation.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama takes his seat for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Ahok is currently on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)

Ahok was accused of blasphemy last year when a video surfaced of him telling voters they were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran prohibited Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader.

Hard-line Islamic groups attracted hundreds of thousands to anti-Ahok protests in Jakarta, shaking the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama arrives for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Ahok is currently on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama takes his seat for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Ahok is currently on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool) </s> Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", center, sits on the defendant's chair at the start of his trial hearing at North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016. Ahok is on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The minority Christian governor of Indonesia's capital sobbed in court Tuesday on the first day of his blasphemy trial as he recalled the role of Muslim godparents in his childhood and said he would never intentionally insult Islam.

The national upheaval over the governor's alleged blasphemy has challenged Indonesia's reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam, shaken the government and exposed religious and racial fault lines in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Protests against Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, led by hard-liners and which drew hundreds of thousands of people, have kept Jakarta, the capital, on edge in the past six weeks. A Nov. 4 protest there turned violent, with one death and dozens of police and protesters injured.

Ahok, an ally of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty. He is the first ethnic Chinese governor of Jakarta and the first Christian in more than half a century.

"As a person who grew up among Muslims, it is not possible for me to intentionally insult Islam because that is the same as disrespecting the people I appreciate and love," Ahok said.

He broke down in tears twice while making his statement, in which he talked about the affection of his godparents and remembered how he helped poor Indonesians perform the Hajj pilgrimage when he was a district chief a decade ago.

The blasphemy controversy erupted in September when a video circulated online in which Ahok lightheartedly said that people were being deceived if they believed his detractors who asserted that the Quran prohibits Muslims from having a non-Muslim leader. He is seeking a second term as governor in elections due in February.

State Prosecutor Ali Mukartono told the court that Ahok insulted Islam and desecrated the Quran by using one of its verses to fool people and boost his chances of winning the Jakarta election.

In his statement, Ahok said that his comments were not an interpretation of the Quran and that he was only referring to certain politicians "who exploited the verses incorrectly because they do not want to compete fairly in the election competition."

Several hundred members of anti- and pro-Ahok groups gathered outside the court, but were kept apart by police. The trial, which is being broadcast live, could take two to three months.

Ahok's lawyers asked the five-judge panel to throw the case out and the trial was then adjourned until Dec. 20.

Police investigators and religious experts were divided about whether Ahok should be prosecuted, but the case proceeded as political pressure on the government mounted. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian court on Tuesday sentenced the minority Christian governor of Jakarta to two years in prison for blaspheming the Quran, a shock decision that undermines the country’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

The five-judge panel said Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama was “convincingly proven guilty of blasphemy” and ordered his arrest. However Ahok immediately announced he would appeal the guilty verdict and sentence.

Outside the court in north Jakarta, supporters of Ahok wept and hugged each other amid shouts of jubilation from members of conservative Islamic groups.

The lead judge said the trial was a purely criminal one and the court disagreed that there were political aspects to the case.

The blasphemy accusation against Ahok was a decisive factor in his defeat to a Muslim candidate in last month’s election for Jakarta governor. It sparked massive anti-Ahok protests in the city, boosting hard-line Islamic groups that said it would be a sin for Muslims to vote for a non-Muslim.

The two-year prison sentence was a surprise outcome after prosecutors had recommended two years of probation.

The maximum sentence for blasphemy in Muslim-majority Indonesia is five years in prison.

The lead judge, Dwiarso Budi Santiarto, said Ahok’s comment during the election campaign that people were being deceived if they believed the Quran forbids Muslims from voting for non-Muslims had degraded and insulted Islam.

“As part of a religious society, the defendant should be careful to not use words with negative connotations regarding the symbols of religions including the religion of the defendant himself,” he said. </s> Jakarta: There has been a new twist in the blasphemy saga gripping Indonesia with Islamic hardliner Habib Rizieq reported to police for allegedly insulting Christianity during a sermon on Christmas Day. The latest drama came as the North Jakarta District Court ruled it would proceed with the blasphemy trial of Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, who is facing a maximum five years' jail for allegedly insulting Islam.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Age. </s> Ahok: Jakarta Governor's blasphemy trial to proceed in Indonesian court

Updated

An Indonesian court has ruled the blasphemy prosecution of Jakarta's Christian Governor will proceed.

Key points: Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, aka Ahok, is accused of insulting the Koran

His lawyers' failed argument was the last chance to stop the trial

Christian groups label Ahok's chief attacker blasphemous

Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, is accused of insulting the Koran, a case seen as a test of religious freedom in the Muslim-majority country.

Ahok's legal team had argued the blasphemy prosecution should be dismissed because it had violated the ethnic Chinese politician's human rights and breached procedures, but a panel of judges disagreed.

"The exception by the defendant will be considered and decided by the court after examination of all evidence. The defendant's exception is not accepted," Judge Abdul Rosyad said.

It was the Governor's last chance to stop the trial, which is unlikely to be finished before the city's gubernatorial elections in mid-February.

A tearful Ahok denied at his first hearing on December 13 that he had intended to insult the Koran while he was campaigning ahead of elections in February for the governorship of Jakarta, capital of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

Hundreds of white-clad Muslim protesters chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) outside the court in north Jakarta on Tuesday and called for the jailing of the Governor.

A smaller group of his supporters were also present outside the courthouse, which was flanked by lines of police.

The presiding judge on the panel, Dwiyarso Budi Santiarto, said the defence could appeal to a higher court if they did not agree with the decision to proceed with the case.

Ahok, after consulting his lawyers, told the court he would consider doing so.

Ahok's chief attacker 'blasphemous': Christian groups

The decision comes as Christian groups reported Ahok's chief attacker for blasphemy.

Hardline cleric Habib Rizieq is accused of saying that Jesus is not God's son.

The Christian groups say this is a highly insulting statement that fits perfectly with the legal definition of blasphemy.

The Governor was named a suspect after hundreds of thousands of people, led by Muslim hardliners, attended rallies in recent months calling for his arrest.

Blasphemy convictions in Indonesia can carry a jail term of up to five years and nearly always result in conviction.

Amnesty International has criticised the law for hurting freedom of expression and for targeting religious minorities.

President Joko Widodo, seen as a Ahok ally, has blamed "political actors" for fuelling the protests, but declined to elaborate.

As Governor, Ahok has won credit for cutting red tape and improving the performance of Jakarta's bloated bureaucracy. However, his abrasive language and insistence on clearing city slums has alienated many voters.

After suffering a slide in support in opinion polls, Ahok has rebounded to become the frontrunner again in the election race to lead Jakarta, according to a poll by the Indonesian Survey Institute earlier this month.

The next court hearing is scheduled for January 3 and will be moved to an auditorium in the Agriculture Ministry in the south of the city for security reasons, authorities said.

ABC/Reuters

Topics: world-politics, religion-and-beliefs, law-crime-and-justice, indonesia, asia

First posted </s> Read the Indonesian version here

On Monday, the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, attended a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday at a mosque in the Indonesian capital. An Indonesian of Chinese ethnicity, and a Christian, he joined devotees singing a religious song along with Muslim celebrants on stage.

He asked the audience to pray for him because the following day he was due in court, charged with blaspheming Islam. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your prayers,” he said.

The governor, widely known as Ahok, needs all the goodwill he can get. He is the highest-ranking Indonesian official to have ever been charged with insulting a religion in Indonesia. Many already fear that the trial will end in guilty verdict.

Ahok, whose appointment to the Indonesian capital’s top job was opposed by hard-line Muslims, was accused of insulting Islam in a campaign speech on Sept. 27. In the address, he said that religious conservatives who cited a Quranic verse in support of their position that Christians should not hold high office were being duplicitous. He told a crowd: “Ladies and gentlemen, you don’t have to vote for me — because you’ve been lied to by those using [the Quran’s] Surah al-Maidah verse 51.” (An edited transcript and video of his speech that twisted his statement went viral and helped fan public anger.)

Read: Jakarta’s Governor Was Questioned for Hours by Police as Part of a Blasphemy Probe

In the past two months, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and other hard-line Muslim groups led three massive protests that paralyzed downtown Jakarta, demanding the governor be jailed and the ouster of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, whose party endorsed Ahok’s candidacy in the gubernatorial election. Jokowi attended prayers with the demonstrators on Dec. 2 — a move that helped defuse the political tension directed toward him but risked giving legitimacy to the anti-Ahok and anti-Chinese sentiments. “The Politics of Mobocracy,” read the cover of news magazine Tempo English magazine last week, over an image of the rally.

Although moderate Muslim leaders and scholars have maintained Ahok’s innocence, public opinion has started to turn against the once popular governor. In a survey released last week, 45% of respondents said Ahok had insulted Islam, though 88.5% said they didn’t know exactly what he said. “If they didn’t exactly know about Ahok’s statement, then they agreed there was a religious blasphemy or not, what was it based on?” was the question posed by pollster Saiful Muljani in local media.

Ahok’s trial is not the only religiously motivated legal challenge that is ongoing at Indonesia’s courts. This year, an Islamic pro-family group that calls itself the Family Love Alliance — it is also known by its Indonesian initials AILA — filed a judicial review to the Constitutional Court to criminalize gay sex and nonmarital sex. There are fears that, if it succeeds, it will open the path for more legal persecution of other minority groups.

These two recent cases signal not only the growing intolerance toward ethnic, religious and sexual minorities in Indonesia — but also the tug of war between Islamist and secular forces in the country that has been going on for decades.

Indonesia — which has the world’s biggest Muslim population, is a secular country with a separation between state and church, where minority groups are supposed to be treated equal before the law. The secular principle started when the founding fathers agreed to drop the inclusion of Shari‘a in the nation’s constitution — allegedly to accommodate the wishes of religious minorities, especially those in the eastern part of the sprawling, culturally diverse archipelago.

However, the fear now is that Indonesia’s democracy is being hijacked by hard-line and ultraconservative groups. There are both jihadists, who dream of establishing an Islamic state in the country through violent means, and groups who seek to push an Islamist agenda through political and social channels.

As a result, the aims of the constitution are being perverted. According to Indonesia’s criminal code, for example, homosexuality isn’t illegal. But at the Constitutional Court, a so-called expert witness for AILA argued that universal human rights weren’t applicable in Indonesia because the country was built on religious norms.

Hundreds of thousands of Indonesian Muslims in Jakarta on Dec. 2, 2016, hold a peaceful protest against the Jakarta governor who is accused of insulting Islam. The protesters demand the acceleration of legal proceedings against Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama Anadolu Agency—Getty Images

Meanwhile, in a sermon in front of President Jokowi and Cabinet ministers during the Dec. 2 rally, FPI leader Habib Rizieq Shihab said that “God’s law is above everything, that holy verses are above the constitution’s.”

Jokowi recently announced that he would set up a task force to tackle the issue of intolerance. “Apart from Muslims, Indonesia is also home to Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists and Confucians,” Jokowi said earlier in the Bali Democracy Forum last week. “The peace values are upheld by all religious adherents in Indonesia.”

However, as a politician he has also sought help from religious leaders and has left hard-line groups like the FPI alone. Now, while maintaining a ostensibly neutral stance, Jokowi has effectively thrown Ahok under the bus, saying flatly: “I will not protect brother Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.”

The Ahok trial — like the LGBT judicial review at the Constitutional Court — is a litmus test of Indonesia’s commitment to its principle as a secular, inclusive and tolerant country. So far, it is failing that test.

Contact us at editors@time.com.
Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) pleads not guilty to charges of blaspheming Islam during a September 27 campaign speech. Ahok is an ethnic Chinese Christian.