11 year prison sentence for atheist posting on Facebook

11 Years in Prison for Posting on an Atheist Website?

Alexander Aan is serving 11 years in prison in Indonesia, where it's illegal to not believe in a supreme being.

The constitution officially recognizes the religions of Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism, and stipulates that every citizen must believe in a supreme being.

Aan was arrested in a small town in West Sumatra on January 18 after a number of local residents assaulted him at work in an act of self-styled vigilantism. They were reacting to some of his postings on a Facebook page devoted to atheism: a note entitled “the Prophet Muhammad was attracted to his own daughter-in-law”; a comic suggesting the Prophet slept with his wife’s maid; and a status update reading, “If you believe in god, then please show him to me.”

Prosecutors have charged Aan under the Electronic Information and Transaction Law, which prohibits inciting hatred or enmity of a religious group, and under the country’s blasphemy provision, Article 156a, which criminalizes “hostility, hatred or contempt” and “disgracing” of a religion. Article 156a also prohibits attempts to persuade others to leave their religion and embrace atheism.

 

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Permalink Reply by Danny W on June 13, 2012 at 9:15pm
Makes me feel a little better about my plight, living here in the bible belt.  
Permalink Reply by Tammy S on June 19, 2012 at 11:57am

Absolutely Danny, somehow it feels just a tad less repressive here having read that! Sad!

Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on June 13, 2012 at 9:22pm

indeed. one dot connector and their whole faith-based cover for whatever corrupt system of commodity extraction? is blown

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on June 14, 2012 at 12:24am
Good thing we don't live there we would all be in prison. I feel for them - so sad.
Permalink Reply by annet on June 14, 2012 at 12:54am

I am ashamed to say I think I would fake it rather than go to prison.  I would also try to move somewhere more secular somehow.... ask for assylum in Thailand or ???  :(

Permalink Reply by Napoleon Bonaparte on June 14, 2012 at 12:56am

Nowhere in the article does it say that Mr. Ann is serving an 11 years sentence for contravening the Indonesian criminal code.

Permalink Reply by Danny W on June 14, 2012 at 2:47pm

Being held before trial.  He was arrested January 18th and has been incarcerated ever since.

 

See also:  http://digitaljournal.com/article/324874

 

Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on June 16, 2012 at 5:14am

typical conglomerate police state through religious hierarchy bs

Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on June 16, 2012 at 5:17am

if Syria is not the sign to the world what happens when religions implode (as if Norway's massacre was not enough.. countless others; Jonestown. Koreshville etc..) i dunno what is.. well, folks are truly distracted from the facts i'd say. yay corporate! let the next gen deal with the dead weight of religion@? we'll all be working at nursing homes for the mentally challenged due to god crap...

Permalink Reply by John Aultman on June 16, 2012 at 8:14am

My concern would be Aan's safety within the prison system.  Since Indonesia is overwhelmingly Muslim the odds are that most of the inmates in their prisons are Muslim too.  Will the Government protect him from reprisal from religious inmates or turn a blind eye since the Government does not recognize atheism or agnosticism.   

Religion in Indonesia Religion Percent

Muslim 87.18%

Protestant6.96%

Catholic2.91%

Hindu1.69%

Buddhist0.72%

Khong Hu Chu0.05%

Other0.13%

Not Stated/Not Asked0.38%

2010 census 

Permalink Reply by booklover on June 16, 2012 at 10:01am

Psycho

Permalink Reply by Idaho Spud on June 16, 2012 at 10:18am

It's so outrages, I'm not sure what to say about it.  I'm constantly saddened, amazed, and disgusted by these kinds of people.  If I shook my head back & forth as much as I feel like doing, I'd have major brain trauma.

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