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Groups press charges over caricature
Muslim group Jakarta Preacherâs Corps (KMJ) and the Muslim Lawyers Team (TPM) filed on Tuesday a police report against The Jakarta Post over the publication of a caricature criticizing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levantâs (ISIL) violent activities in Iraq
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uslim group Jakarta Preacher's Corps (KMJ) and the Muslim Lawyers Team (TPM) filed on Tuesday a police report against The Jakarta Post over the publication of a caricature criticizing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL) violent activities in Iraq.
'The caricature is clearly blasphemous to Islam. It depicts a flag emblazoned with the phrase 'Lailaha Illallah' [there is none worthy of worship except Allah] [...] and 'Allah, Muhammad and Rasul' under a pirate skull,' he told journalist after filing the report with the National Police.
The KMJ accused the Post's chief editor of violating Criminal Code Article 156(a) on blasphemy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.
The group took legal action a week after the Post issued an apology and a retraction of the internationally syndicated cartoon on its website and in its print edition. 'During our visit to the Post's office on July 8, the chief editor said he regretted the error in judgment, but noted that the publication of the cartoon was in no way meant to malign or be disrespectful of any religion. It is up to him to admit the error in judgment, but I cannot believe that he had no intention of insulting Islam,' Edy said.
Later in the day, several individuals grouped under TPM descended on the police headquarters to complete the report filed by the KMJ. TPM chairman Achmad Michdan, who is also a legal representative of terrorist convict Abu Bakar Ba'asyir and Muslim group Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT), suggested that the Post had also violated articles 5 (1) and 18 (2) on the obligation of every press company to respect religious norms. The articles carry a maximum penalty of Rp 500 million (US$42,602) in fines.
