Your comments on the proposal by several NGOs to review the 1965 blasphemy law, a proposal which has received strong opposition from religious leaders.
I agree with the group of NGOs requesting a judicial review of the blasphemy law issued in 1965. The law in itself limits religion freedom.
If the NGOs judicial review is successful, it will challenge religious leaders to deepen their followers’ faith.
Maturity of faith, in my opinion, depends precisely on our capability to appreciate differences, and in enhancing tolerance. It is the core of our pluralism.
Rev. Gonzales
Jakarta
These people have the right to be controlled as they see fit. They can stay as conservative as they wish.
However, they do not have the right to dictate or control other people’s thoughts, beliefs and feelings.
The universal laws and Indonesian laws governing human rights take a higher precedence over religious rules.
A blasphemy law comes from the pre-civilized days of feudal, military and religious dictatorships over the populace.
Democracy does not mean control by the majority, but has an implied responsibility to defend the rights of all peoples in that democracy i.e. the minorities.
Briend
Brisbane
Let them oppose it. They’ll oppose anything their cramped minds can’t comprehend. Let them issue a fatwa on it.
We strive for the public good, not to please some absurd group of senile zealots.
Hadi
Surabaya
The blasphemy laws in other Islamic countries, for example Pakistan, have mostly been misused against innocent minorities or people belonging to other sects i.e. Ahmadis.
In the majority of cases, the victims had some other kind of dispute (land, money or a love affair), which were settled by misusing these laws.
There are statistics available that show the majority of these cases never reached the courts and that fanatic religious groups incited common folk to take the law into their own hands and violently murdered the victims, publicly, on the supposed notion and hearsay that they disrespected the Koran or the Prophet.
Hence, before supporting and implementing such a law, there is a great need to apply extreme caution and involve multilevel verifications before one proceeds to prosecute an accused under these laws.
Ahmed Ali
Pakistan
