Issue: Atheist arrested for blasphemy

Issue: Atheist arrested for blasphemy
The Jakarta Post | Sat, 01/28/2012 3:57 PM

Jan 20, Online

A 30 year-old civil servant in the Dharmasraya regency of West Sumatra, identified as Alexander,
was arrested on Friday for blasphemy after creating a Facebook fan page titled Ateis Minang (Minang Atheist), which was “liked” by 1,238 Facebook users.

Dharmasraya Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Chairul Azis said that the man was arrested because of his writings on the fan page and his direct statements saying that he did not believe in God.

“He has triggered unrest among local residents,” Chairul told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Your comments:

Indonesia does not recognize atheism and the atheist has falsified his documents to be accepted as a civil servant.

But one thing unpleasant about him is that he keeps their traditional religions intact in his ID card.

Watt

I’m going to assume that he is not an atheist but actually someone who believes in one of the original religions of Indonesia.

But I don’t know, even though the regent seems ignorant by saying “you don’t belong”.

Employment should not be linked to religion. If he has a problem with his job then he could be dismissed, but for religion it seems extremely pathetic.
David K

So, what happens to religious freedom? He is free to believe in whatever. It is his right.

He has to pay the consequences later in eternity. It is nobody’s business!

It is his choice. The criminals are those who attacked and prosecuted him.

How many of the people who attacked him were arrested for their crime?
Anto

This is another excellent entry point for those anti-establishment people to attack the government of Indonesia.
Paribas

Alexander stated his faith as Islam because he had only this narrow-minded list of five or six items to choose from.

How many million people are just like him but lack his courage to say so?
Hadi