Islamic religious texts must be read in context to understand blasphemy
Indonesian police are investigating Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaya Purnama, also known as Ahok, for blasphemy. They named him a suspect after hundreds of thousands of people rallied against the Chinese-Indonesian and Christian governor earlier this month.
Behind the enormous protest was a complex web of religious and political interests. But some of the protesters genuinely felt insulted by Ahok, who is running in next year’s gubernatorial election.
The reason for their anger was a speech that Ahok gave in September. Among other things, he warned his listeners about people who invoke verse 51 of the Surah Al-Maidah in the Quran to “deceive” people into not voting for him.… Seguir leyendo »