Al Maida 51 case

President Joko Widodo addressing in 212 mass protest.

Al Maidah 51 case (Indonesia:Kasus Al-Maidah 51 or Kasus Penistaan Agama) is a notable blasphemy case in Indonesia involving Chinese background Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or widely known as Ahok after a controversial speech in Pramuka Island in September 2016 that was quickly spread through YouTube channel of Pemprov DKI (Jakarta Provincial Government) and social media.

Ahok's statement that Indonesians should not be deceived by those people who are using Sura Al-Maida 51 to not elect non-Muslims as their leaders raising wide controversy especially for Muslim community around the nation. This resulted in two mass protests against him demanding his arrest on charges of blaspheming the Quran on 4 November and 2 December 2016. The term of Penista Agama (Slanderer of religion) linked with him has became popular since the case went viral.

In Interview with AlJazeera, Ahok expressed that he never regret to give the controversial speech and he would repeat the same speech if he could do that again in Pramuka Island.

Pre-election

During his official visit to Kepulauan Seribu (Thousands Islands), Ahok gave a speech to the fishermen and other local people there about the details of his programs as governor. Unexpectedly, he made a statement connecting his program development with the upcoming gubernatorial election if he cannot be elected as governor for the second term.

In October 2016, several figures and groups reported him for blasphemy case. MUI chief Ma'ruf Amin declared that the Ahok's controversial statement has a legal consequence, whether slander on Quran or slander on ulema (Islamic clerics). Quran itself stated anyone who gave slanderous statement toward the holy book, including that the verse (Al-Maida 51) is a deceiving weapon used by the preachers, is cursed as "kafir" (infidels). According to several Islamic jurisprudences, such as Shafi'i and Hanafi, any blasphemy or attack against Islam as religion could be sentenced with capital punishment.

After his apology to Muslim community, Ahok revealed a controversial plan in Jakarta when he would name a wifi hotspot username "Al Maidah 51" with password "kafir". On 4 November 2016, Gerakan Nasional Pengawal Fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia (GNPF-MUI) held a massive demonstration in Jakarta which attended by hundreds thousands of people from various mass organizations to bring the blasphemy case into trial.

Due to the slow progress on the investigation, the larger protest was iniatiated by FPI leader Habib Rizieq Shihab in Monumen Nasional (Monas), Jakarta on 2 December 2016 which latter became historic event of 212 movement (Aksi 212) as one of the largest muslim mass gathering which is claimed that the movement attended by millions of Muslim from various parts of Indonesia. The president Joko Widodo accompanied with his ministers and National Police Head Tito Karnavian also attended the event.

The trial process of blasphemy case officially began on 13 December 2016 in Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Pusat (Central Jakarta Local Court) and ended in May 2017. Hundreds of polices were deployed to guard the demonstrations in front of the court building for safety reasons.

2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election

During the trials, the Interior Minister Tjahjo Kumolo decided that Ahok was permitted to run in 2017 gubernatorial election despite of massive pressure from Muslim community to disqualify him from the election for hurting Islamic people over his slanderous remark against a verse of Islamic holy scripture.

As the result of ongoing probe, Ahok was rejected several times during his campaign visits in several regions in Jakarta. On an Interview with Australian media ABC News, Ahok stated that he would not have any intention to attack Muslim voters and claimed the probe was politically motivated strategy used by his opponents to defeat him.

He and Djarot Saiful Hidayat competed with former President's son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni and former Minister of Education Anies Rasyid Baswedan-Sandiaga Salahudin Uno in the election. Eventually, Ahok-Djarot lost to Anies-Sandi who elected for the gubernatorial office.

On 9 May 2017, after the gubernatorial election, the judge found Ahok is proven guilty for blasphemy case and sentenced him with two years in prison, while the prosecutors decided for one year jail term with a conditional sentence of two years’ probation. During the trial sentence, an Ahok supporter Veronica Koman made an offensive remark in front of the court building by saying that Joko Widodo administration is more vicious than the previous presidency.

Aftermath

Beside of blasphemy case, several figures and mass organizations were also arrested and banned related to the probe.

A lecturer Buni Yani was involved in the case after his video uploaded on Facebook went viral and he eventually sentenced one and half year in prison. A famous musician and politician Ahmad Dhani also reported to the police and arrested for his tweet that "anyone who support a blasphemer are scoundrels who should be spat on the face" that later interpreted as an insult to Ahok supporters, then Dhani was sentenced 18 months jail term in this case, while he once also questioned the different treatment applied between him and Ahok, while he should be jailed in prison and the latter put in Mako Brimob.

In May 2017, a hardline Islamic group HTI (Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia) was banned without any formal notification or due process under the law, leading to the revision UU Ormas (Mass Organization Law) which is opposed by several political parties. This ban policy was viewed by political analysts as a compromise for blasphemy case because it was announced closely before Ahok sentence in the court.

One of the key figures of two mass gatherings (411 and 212 movement) Habib Rizieq Shihab was reported he cannot leave Saudi Arabia since April 2017 after umrah while the government people is allegedly involved in this problem.

On 2 December 2018, the 212 movement "alumni group" (or Alumni 212) reunited in mass gathering in Monas, Jakarta to commemorate two years anniversary after the historic event in 2016.

In August 2019, Veronica Koman, who expressed harsh remark against Widodo administration when supporting Ahok in the trial sentence, is charged by the police for spreading hoaxes on the social media that provoking the violent raid in August 2019 Papua protests. After flight abroad, Koman has became the fugitive and Interpol Red Notice target by the Indonesian authority for her crime.

References

This article "Al Maida 51 case" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Al Maida 51 case. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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