Indonesian Institute of Sciences researcher Siti Zuhro said Wednesday that hearings on the judicial review of the blasphemy law at the Constitutional Court, “should result in a mutually acceptable solution”.
“It would be wrong not to [amend] the law as we have heard relevant arguments [from petitioners],” she added.
The court held its 10th hearing of the judicial review request of the 1965 Blasphemy Law, filed by NGOs and self-proclaimed promoters of pluralism in October last year.
Testifying as an expert at the Court’s request, Siti said that she would not recommend abolishing the law.
“My experience as a researcher and a former team member tasked with revising the [regional autonomy law] has allowed me to understand the history of Indonesian politics, our culture and the behavior of our leaders, including national institutions. I would conclude that a revision of the law is necessary, but we don’t need to revoke it,” she said.
When the 1999 Regional Autonomy Law was repealed, Siti said, “the magnitude of the impact was so extreme and we paid a huge price for that policy”.
“Indonesia is not a religious country, yet it is not secular. Indonesian people have communal characteristics and treat ideological matters very sensitively. Therefore, we can- not ignore, for instance, extreme leftists and choose to take sides with rightwing fanatics without taking into account the possible tremendous implications of such an action,” she added.
She also said that a revision of the 45-year-old blasphemy law was needed because issues of discrimination had re-entered society with the implementation of the decentralization and regional autonomy policies.
“Our diversity and pluralism should be uniting forces for this country. However, in practice, we are far from that ideal. The arguments about the judicial review request of the blasphemy law are indications that Indonesia is still in the process of developing as a nation,” she added.
Answering a question raised by hardline Islamic group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) on the parts of the law that should be revised, she said that any revision should satisfy public policy.
“There should be public consultation. This is the journey of our nation and we cannot turn a blind eye and claim that one group is right and the others are wrong,” she added.
Siti’s arguments echoed that of Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra, who had previously testified as an expert before the Court. He said that a law was still needed to regulate blasphemy, but recommended the existing one be revised to provide a clearer definition of what constituted blasphemy.
However, an expert witness presented by the government defended the law, saying that it was still needed to contain conflict surrounding the establishments of houses of worship, specifically churches, which have been targets of attacks.
University of Indonesia legal expert Sudarsono said the blasphemy law was the basis for the 2006 Ministerial Joint Regulations. The joint regulations cover, among others, the establishment of places of worship in regions.
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