Defending the faith

The Jakarta Post reported about a case in which a civil servant working with the Dharmasraya Regency Bappeda is on trial for expressing atheist views. The government is prosecuting him under the criminal code and Information Transaction Law for creating a Facebook group Minang Atheists. Moreover, the Constitution only guarantees religious freedom to the extent that individuals believe in a God.

Activists are worried that that the case has already gone too far. Sudarto, the director of the Center for Interfaith Community (Pusaka), argued:

The charges of blasphemy that brought against Alexander are based on 'rubber articles.' Their argument, which is exaggerated, is a failure of the Muslim community and our government to take care of other more important things.

Indeed, this is definitely selective prosecution at its worst. Alexander is already claiming he'll convert back to Islam, but such a conversion sadly would be under duress.