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Blasphemy article still needed: Muhammadiyah University expert
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Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama sits during a hearing of his blasphemy trial at the North Jakarta District Court on Jan. 17. (hukumonline.com/POOL/Resa Esnir/via JP)
C
riminal law expert of Muhammadiyah University in Jakarta, Chairul Huda, said the blasphemy article as stated in Article 156 section (a) of the Criminal Code was still needed to maintain religious harmony in the country.
"Indonesia is a country full of diversity, including in its religions. Therefore we need this rule to protect this diversity," Chairul told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
(Read also: FPI threatens to report Megawati to police for blasphemy)
Chairul went on to say that the objective of the blasphemy law was to allow people with different religions to coexist by discouraging blasphemous speech.
Therefore when a blasphemy case occurs, such as with Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's case, the victims would not merely be Muslim, Chairul said.
Chairul added that he believed the country was not ready to abolish this law because some people still could not uphold pluralism and diversity.
However, he noted that the law should be revised to be more specific.
"The word 'religion' is abstract. The law can be revised to be more specific, such as to regulate the insult of God, God's characteristics, prophets, rituals or the Holy Book," he said.
However, Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono told the Post earlier that the blasphemy law had violated human rights, in particular freedom of expression.
Andreas said Indonesia breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified in 2005, by keeping its blasphemy law valid.
