Her eldest son was dubbed the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. The novelist Danarto, a prominent member of her group, was called the reincarnation of the Buddha, while his wife was called the reincarnation of the Goddess Kwan Im. But what if someone is married to another who is not the reincarnation of their divine spouse from their past life? 

This was the conundrum facing Tri Sugiati, a successful statistician who worked for a government agency. Known to her friends as an intellectual with a burning desire for spiritual renewal, she joined Lia Eden’s religious movement and quickly became a devoted follower. 

To Lia, Sugiati was the reincarnation of Khadijah, the prophet Muhammad’s first wife. Meanwhile, Abdul Rachman, a former student activist and Lia’s right-hand man, was the prophet Muhammad reincarnate. The only issue was that Sugiati was married with children. “So, Mother Lia told her to divorce her husband and get married to Abdul instead,” recalled Syaefudin Simon, a journalist who was a member of Lia’s community from 1997 to 2002. “The crazy thing is, she did it.”

Sugiati is far from alone. “This sort of incident happens all the time,” Simon said ruefully. “Families were torn apart, livelihoods ruined and parents abandoned their children. But what can you do? Gabriel commands it through Mother Lia. So they shall obey.”

As she asserted control within her organization, Lia and her disciples began building a more public profile. Her strange rituals, characteristic white robe and assertion that she was Gabriel’s earthly vessel attracted ridicule and indignation. Salamullah, her religious movement, moved away from the fringe and into the mainstream discourse.

Lia took to this newfound attention with gusto. She publicly proclaimed that pork was halal, held Islamic prayers in two languages, and declared that all religions should be abolished. By the early 2000s, Salamullah had changed its name to The Holy Throne of the Kingdom of God, with Lia as its heavenly queen. The movement became an overnight sensation.

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