The two year prison sentence handed down against a TikTok influencer who goes by the name Lina Mukherjee, after she was charged with blasphemy over the content of a video in which she ate pork after expressing the phrase "Bismillah" (in the Name of Allah), has triggered a variety of reactions in cyberspace.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Adelia Stevina, Jakarta – The National Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (Bareskrim Polri) for General Crimes has officially declared the founder of the Al Zaytun Islamic boarding school (pesantren) Panji Gumilang as a suspect on charges of

Singgih Wiryono, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) is advising the public to be careful about forming hasty opinions ahead of a political year, including over the controversy surrounding the Al Zaytun Islamic boarding school (pesantren) and its leader

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition is urging the national police criminal investigations directorate (Bareskrim) to halt the investigation into the head of the Al Zaytun Islamic boarding school (Ponpes), Panji Gumilang, for alleged

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFENet) freedom of expression division head Nenden Sekar Arum is of the view that the stupa meme case which has ensnared telematics expert and former Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Roy Suryo is evidence that the catchall articles under Law Number 19/2016 on Information

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded 38 cases of religious blasphemy between January and May, 2020.

YLBHI Chairperson Asfinawati revealed that there were three pieces of legislation which were used to indict people in these cases.

Surabaya – One of the Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya who was the target of racist abuse last year believes that the five month jail sentence handed down against the defendant Syamsul Arifin was too light.

Muhammad Ridwan – Amnesty International Indonesia has responded to a case involving an interfaith activist from West Sumatra, Sudarto, who has been charged with hate speech. Amnesty believes that Sudarto was in fact defending religious minorities’ right to worship.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the release of former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama should become an impetus for the abolition of Article 156a of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on desecration or insulting religion in the deliberations on revising the draft Criminal Code (RKUHP).

Zunita Putri, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) has welcomed a suggestion by the Islamic based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) for next year’s 212 reunion to be held at the State Palace.

Gerindra is also proposing that the date December 2 become a “day of solidarity”.