While Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is facing the third session of his blasphemy trial today, the police have promised that the numerous accusations of criminal blasphemy against the leader of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Rizieq Shihab, will be processed in the same way Ahok’s were.
Rizieq and his organization have been at the forefront of the anti-Ahok protests calling for the governor to immediately be jailed for his alleged blasphemy against Islam.
But last week, Rizieq himself was reported to police for blasphemy against Christianity by three separate organizations after a video of a sermon he gave on Christmas Day spread online in which he said, “If God had a child, who was the midwife?” – a comment that was met with laughter by his audience.
The FPI leader was first reported by the Indonesian Catholic Students Association (PMKRI), with following reports being filed by the Student Peace Institute and the Interfaith Youth Student Forum. They all accused Rizieq of violating Article 156 of the Criminal Code on blasphemy (the very same article that Ahok has been charged under).
Many watchdog organizations and experts have called on the police to process the accusations against Rizieq quickly and fairly to show that the Indonesian legal system treats all equally.
Yesterday, Jakarta Police Chief Mochamad Iriawan promised that the police would process Rizieq if sufficient evidence was found that his words had insulted another religion and that he would not be given any special treatment due to his status.
“If the evidence is there, [the blasphemy charges] will definitely be processed. All are equal in the eyes of the law,” Iriawan said at Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta on Monday as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Iriawan said police are still investigating the reports and asking for expert witnesses in the fields of linguistics, criminology and information technology. No specifics about the investigation or when it will be finished have been released.
Activists have reason to question whether the blasphemy investigation against Rizieq will proceed in the same manner as Ahok’s. Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia’s founding father Sukarno, reported Rizieq to the police for insulting her father and Pancasila in October. Police have promised to investigate her report but have yet to formally charge the FPI leader with any crimes or provide any updates on the investigation. The government also blocked Rizieq’s personal website for spreading extremist content, but he was never charged with violating any laws.
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