Police in Indonesia have arrested Ferdinand Hutahaean, a Christian politician, for allegedly offending Islam, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported this week.
Mr. Hutahaean, a member of the Democrat Party, was arrested on January 10 after being reported by two people for hate speech against Islam for a January 4 post he made on Twitter, despite the fact that his tweet does not mention Islam or Muhammad.
“It is a pity that your God is evidently weak [and] must be defended. My God is amazing, [he] is everything. He is always my defender, and my God does not need to be defended,” the tweet stated.
Hutahaean’s Twitter biography identifies him as an “obedient Christian.”
According to ICC, Hutahaean later apologized in a video, describing his tweet was “an imaginary dialogue between my heart and mind” that had nothing to do with a specific group or religion. Nonetheless, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency named Hutahaean a suspect in a hate speech case and currently holds him in custody.
Soldiers patrol outside a church as Christian devotees attend Christmas mass prayers in Makassar on December 25, 2021. (ANDRI SAPUTRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Hutahaean will be reportedly held at the Police Headquarters Detention Center for 20 days to ensure he does not escape or destroy evidence. If found guilty for his alleged crime, he can face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The Indonesian digital media company Detikcom reported that the Attorney General’s Office is investigating whether Hutahaean’s tweet asserting “Your God is weak” constitutes broadcasting fake news and causing a disturbance.
Police Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan said Thursday that police are closely monitoring Hutahaean’s health, claiming he had a nervous breakdown 2 years ago.
Special operations police stand guard outside the premises as Christians attend Christmas Eve mass at the Jakarta Cathedral in the Indonesian capital on December 24, 2021. ( ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty)
Jaya M. Amin, General Secretary of the Regional Council of the Alumni Corps of the Islamic Student Association, praised the police for their swift apprehension of Hutahaean.
“Don’t make fun of Ethnicity, Religion, Race and Intergroup Relations,” Amin said. “Moreover, the name of Allah is definitely not to be played with. We must take care of each other amid the plurality of this nation, which we love so much. Different religions are required to respect each other.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.