The first day of the trial for blasphemy that involves the Jakarta
Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama known as "Ahok" was held today.
The
Court of North Jakarta is hearing proceedings against the politician, a
ethnic Chinese Christian, on charges of insulting the Koran and the
Islamic faith.
During a rally held last September he allegedly quoted the 51st Surah
Al Maidah (fifth chapter of the Koran), advising Muslims not to vote
for a leader of a different faith, asking the Islamic faithful not "use"
in the wrong way.
Through tears, Ahok explained that he had never meant to offend Islam
and that his words were addressed to politicians who manipulate the
Koran to prevent him being re-elected as governor in the elections of
February 2017.
The defendant requested a video be shown portraying Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid (president of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001) while commenting a
distribution of flyers that invite not to vote a political non-Muslim.
The request was rejected by the judges and prosecution because "this
will be done during the next hearing, when new forensic evidence will
come to light."
Today’s hearing was attended by thousands of spectators, curious to see
the first chapter of a process that has resonance across the nation.
Since the end of September, the words of the governor have generated
protests by Islamists, moderates and radicals.
On November 4, nearly 100 thousand people took to the streets
to demand the condemnation of Ahok and the withdrawal of his candidacy
for governor.
The protest, which resulted in violence, suffered the infiltration of political agitators with the aim of discrediting President Joko Widodo, an ally of the governor.
This generated the response of moderate movements, which marched in Jakarta November 30 defending Indonesia's values, of tolerance and unity in diversity.
Later it was discovered that Buni Yani, a former journalist and
professor of communication at the London School of Central Jakarta,
manipulated the words spoken by Ahok in the rally, making them offensive
to Islam and sparking protests.
Yani has been arrested and will go to trial.
Ahok is one of the few Indonesian political leaders to fight for freedom of conscience.
Last June he opposed the obligation imposed on students from Jakarta to
wear the Islamic veil.
In July 2015, the governor of Jakarta promoted a
fight for civil rights of the Ahmadi minority, considered heretical by
the majority Sunni Muslims.