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Police investigate reports of blasphemy in Sukmawati’s poem
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Under the name of our founding father: Sukmawati Soekarnoputri (right), daughter of Indonesia's late founding father Sukarno, takes a picture with her siblings, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri (third right) and Guruh Soekarnoputra (third left), Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly (second left), Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani (second right), then-acting Jakarta governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat (left) and Agus Widjojo of the National Resilience Institute (fourth left) in front of a statue of Sukarno at the Lemhanas headquarters on May 24, 2017. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
T
he National Police are investigating reports of blasphemy allegedly committed by Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, an official confirmed on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Insp.Gen.Setyo Wasisto said two reports of blasphemy implicating the daughter of founding father Sukarno had been filed with the Jakarta Police and the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim).
“Our responsibility is to carry out an investigation. We have to first gather evidence and then follow up,” Setyo said as quoted by kompas.com.
He said that during the pre-investigation process, the police would collect evidence and question witnesses.
He further said the police would also consider settling the case out of court.
Sukmawati has been accused of insulting Islam after reading her poem titled Ibu Indonesia (Mother Indonesia) during Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) in Jakarta last Thursday.
“I don’t know sharia [Islamic law], but I know the konde [traditional bun] of Mother Indonesia is so beautiful, more beautiful than your niqab. I don’t know sharia, but I know that the ballad of Indonesian mothers is so beautiful, more melodious than your adzan,” the poem reads.
The poem triggered outrage from various groups. Lawyer Denny Andrian Kusdayat, Hanura Party politician Amron Asyhari and the East Java chapter of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), have filed criminal reports against Sukmawati.
The United Islam Forum (FUIB) has also reported Sukmawati to the Jakarta Police and will file a similar report with Bareskrim.
Sukmawati is accused of committing blasphemy under Article 156a of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and hate speech, which violates Article 16 of Law No. 40/2008 on the elimination of sentiments against tribal affiliation, religion, race and societal groups (SARA). (ebf)
