Indonesia's atheists face battle for religious freedom
Alex Aan faces jail for posting 'God doesn't exist' on Facebook, renewing fears for atheists in the world's most populous Muslim country

Activists say Alex Aan’s is the first case in which an atheist in Indonesia is being tried in relation to 'pancasila', which requires belief in one god. Photograph: Kate Hodal
Kate Hodal in Padang
guardian.co.uk, Thu 3 May 2012 10.22 BST
When Alex Aan picked up a copy of Karen Armstrong's Holy War from his local library in west Sumatra in 2005, he had little inkling of his own religious battle to come. But after posting "God doesn't exist" on Facebook, the soft-spoken civil servant, 30, faces up to 11 years in jail for what is considered blasphemy in Indonesia.
His case has stoked a debate in the world's most populous Muslim nation, whose 240 million citizens are technically guaranteed freedom of religion but protected by law only if they believe in one of six credos: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Hinduism. Those who question any of those face five years in prison for "insulting a major religion", plus an additional six years if they use the internet to spread such "blasphemy" to others.
Activists say Aan's is the first case in which an atheist is being tried in relation to the first pillar of Indonesia's state philosophy – pancasila, which requires belief in one god. From the medium-security rural prison where he has been held for the past two months, Aan has little hope for the future. He has been beaten by angry mobs, rejected by his community and endured public calls for his beheading. For now he is lying low in his cramped cell, awaiting an imminent verdict and has told none of his fellow inmates about his supposed crime.
"The truth is way too dangerous," says Aan quietly, his hands clasped together over his prison-issue blue jeans and button-down shirt. "I'm really worried about my future. And I'm only just now starting to think about how I'm going to deal with it."
Authorities moved Aan from his local prison in west Sumatra's capital, Padang, after he was badly beaten by a group of inmates who knew his case. To see their client for 15 minutes, Aan's lawyers must drive for four hours along a treacherous mountain road that bisects the dwindling Sumatran rainforest and crisscrosses valleys until it ends in a cul-de-sac at the prison's gates.
Aan's counsel, a ragtag team of young smokers in T-shirts and sandals, don't expect justice. "What Alex has 'done' is exercise freedom of expression," says Taufik Fajrin, one of the five lawyers defending him pro bono. "We'll try our best to get him freed but just hope he'll get a minimum sentence. Promoting human rights here is hard because you face fanatics and hardline culturalists. Even we, as his lawyers, are worried that hardliners will come to our office or homes and throw stones at us. It's a challenge."
While his lawyers estimate there may be up to 2,000 atheists in Indonesia, "there's no real way of knowing", Fajrin says. The repercussions are too dangerous.
According to Andreas Harsono, a local human rights activist, Aan's case is just one of a growing number of examples of religious intolerance across Indonesia, ranging from harassment to mob and arson attacks against groups such as the Baha'i, Shia and Ahmadiyah Muslims – sometimes ending in death.
Last year, the local Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace recorded 244 acts of violence against religious minorities – nearly double the 2007 figure.
Activists argue that the country is increasingly influenced politically and financially by conservative Wahhabi clerics from the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, who help to incite intolerance in Indonesia. But the country's discriminatory laws – ranging from vaguely worded decrees against proselytising to requirements to state one's religion on one's national identity card – as well as the increasing number of Muslim hardliners who have taken the law into their own hands, are also to blame, Harsono says.
"Victims keep getting longer prison terms and perpetrators less, while the human rights we set in place 10 years ago are becoming unravelled," he says. "We're seeing a motion to ban mini-skirts in government buildings whereas [before] it was OK. Beauty queen contests were OK'd in the 1970s but have been banned in some provinces, while Valentine's Day celebrations were given the green light 30 years ago but this year were banned in Aceh.
"The situation is getting crazy," Harsono continues. "We used to discuss these issues. Now there is no discussion. The discourse today is 'This is un-Islamic and immoral'."
Indonesia's Christians have suffered most, perhaps. The Indonesian Communion of Churches says about 80 churches have been closed each year since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took power in 2004, and an additional 1,000 congregations have faced harassment.
For many of those who consider themselves defenders of Islamic culture, such as the Padang clan chief, Zainuddin Datuk Rajo Lenggang, religious minorities like Aan pose a serious threat to Indonesia's national identity – and atheists are particularly risky.
"If you are not a religious person, you might be dangerous to others, behaving without control and doing anything you like," Lenggang says. "Religion brings order. You cannot be an individualist."
Although Aan has issued a public apology for his Facebook message and has since converted to Islam, the hardline Islamic Society Forum has called for the use of the death penalty in his case, and Lenggang says it is too late to be forgiven by his community: "Once you doubt the existence of Allah, you are kafir – you are no longer accepted. In the old days, he may be beaten until he died. But that could still happen today. This is about faith and people can be very strict."
Aan's parents paint a portrait of a devout and intelligent son who was always interested in logic, justice and truth, and also seemingly went to great pains to keep up appearances. "My son is not an atheist," says his mother, Nuraina, through tears. "Since his childhood, he has always been diligent, always praying in the mosque, five times a day."
Aan, who has the support of the US-based Atheist Alliance International and Council of ex-Muslims of Britain, says he knew from an early age that he was an atheist, but recognised that he would have to hide it from others. "From 11, I thought 'If God exists, why is there suffering? Why is there war, poverty, hell?' Because, to me, God would not create this hell. My family would ask me my thoughts but I knew my answers would cause problems, so I kept quiet."
He looks out the window to where a group of inmates are celebrating their Sunday by performing karoake to drum'n'bass in the dusty prison yard, most of them smoking, all of them barefoot. "I only want to see a better world and help create a better world," he says. "If I cannot … then I would prefer to die."

http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/03/indonesia-atheists-religious-freedom-aan?cat=world&type=article

What do muslims think and is this the true face of Islam?

summarise abeg..this is too long

deols: summarise abeg..this is too long

I once created a thread in the literature section about the attitude your post portrays. I think if you can't take time to read an article or any other write-up, you should really be silent on the matter- QED.

@topic, there is freedom of expression in Indonesia, the only thing there is that you have to be willing to pay the price for exercising that freedom in the way this man has gone about it. Just like I should be willing to accept society's scorn and rejection if I openly speak-out against and condemn homosexuality in the UK. It is a personal choice you are entitled to make.

The rules in Indonesia are clear- deal with them if you break them. I am really looking forward to the day an American Muslim will decide to marry a second wife in America, let us see how that will go down.

blasphemy is not the same when someone does not believe in Islam or in God.one is free to doubt and not believe because this issue is between him and his Creator.not believing is different from coming out and insulting the beliefs of others.you are free not to believe and have ideas or even beliefs that others find offensive.but if you are living in an islamic state or country where the overwhelming majority believe in Islam,at least show some respect by not propagating what offends others and could stir their emotions.so blasphemy laws do not violate the pirnciple of no compulsion in religion.blasphemy laws is not to force or compel anyone to believe but if they dont believe,it is to prevent them from being disrespectful because some humans do not how to behave.

The man in question has commited a treasonable offence shikena, its a law for crying out loud! If you want to spread your atheism, go else where.
"five years for insulting any major religion and six years if you spread such blasphemy" i think we need this here in nigeria.

Atheism is not a religion hence technically the man has not be compelled to leave his "religion" he is being punished for breaking the law and it surprises one that for a very intelligent according to the article yet the best he can do is being a civil servant who writes nonsense in facebook. No compulsion in religion simply refers to nt forcing people from one religion to another, if I practice a religion that says the holocaust is a lie I would be locked up in Germany for such expressing such insolence in public would u then KAY request freedom of religion? Places have peculiarities that are common to them, Laws are made to maintain public order and the will of the Majority have been expressed thru such laws.

Atheism is not a religion hence technically the man has not be compelled to leave his "religion" he is being punished for breaking the law and it surprises one that for a very intelligent according to the article yet the best he can do is being a civil servant who writes nonsense in facebook. No compulsion in religion simply refers to nt forcing people from one religion to another, if I practice a religion that says the holocaust is a lie I would be locked up in Germany for such expressing such insolence in public would u then KAY request freedom of religion? Places have peculiarities that are common to them, Laws are made to maintain public order and the will of the Majority have been expressed thru such laws. Remember no one would harras the man if he did not express his ideas publicly and the state is not required to run an inquisition to determine what everyone believes.

So in Indonesia if i believe in God I can say so. If I don't i should keep my mouth shut!!!

What gives a believer more rights than a non believer.

If an atheist can say he doesn't believe in God and I feel that is enough to insult my religion I need my head examined!!