Meidyatama Suryodiningrat said: “What we produced was a journalistic piece that criticised the ISIS movement, which has carried out violence in the name of religion.” It is a dogma in the West, not to be questioned on pain of charges of “Islamophobia” and “bigotry,” that the Islamic State’s violent acts are making a “mockery” of the true, peaceful Islamic faith — as Congressman Brad Sherman put it. But now in Indonesia, Suryodiningrat is facing a blasphemy prosecution because he allowed the publication of a cartoon that makes that point — that the Islamic State is doing evil in the name of Islam.
Apparently this cartoon is blasphemous because it suggests that what the Islamic State is doing actually has some connection or association with Islam. If that is the case, then this prosecution is a manifestation of willful ignorance and denial. Or possibly the Muslim group was angry because the cartoon puts the Islamic confession of faith on a skull and crossbones flag. If so, one wonders what the Jakarta Preachers’ Corps is doing to stop young Muslims from accepting the Islamic State’s view of Islam.
“Jakarta Post’s editor faces blasphemy charge for cartoon mocking Islamic State,” South China Morning Post, December 12, 2014:
Indonesian police have declared the editor-in-chief of a prominent English-language daily newspaper a suspect in a blasphemy case over the publication of a cartoon mocking the jihadist group Islamic State.
Jakarta Police Spokesman Rikwanto told reporters on Thursday that The Jakarta Post Chief Editor Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, 47, was named a suspect, citing witness testimonies and evidence, for his responsibility over all products of the Post.
The chief editor issued a statement late Thursday, saying the newspaper did not commit a criminal act as accused, while a journalists’ group said the case threatens the country’s press freedom.
The cartoon published on July 3 depicted a flag emblazoned with the Arabic phrases “La ilaha Illallah,” meaning “there is none worthy of worship except Allah,” and “Allah, Mohamed and Apostle” on a pirate skull.
The police spokesman said they will summon and question Suryodiningrat next week as a suspect. The journalist faces five years in prison for blasphemy against a religion under the Criminal Code.
The police were alerted to the case by a Muslim group, called Jakarta Preachers’ Corps, after the Jakarta Post issued an apology about the internationally syndicated cartoon and a retraction from its website and print edition.
The editor said: “What we produced was a journalistic piece that criticised the ISIS movement, which has carried out violence in the name of religion,” using the acronym of the extremist group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
“It means that the ISIS caricature was not blasphemous,” he said. “We all know that ISIS is an organization that is banned in Indonesia and across almost the entire world.”
The Jakarta-based Alliance of Independent Journalists, or AJI, slammed the declaration of Suryodiningrat as suspect….
The case, according to AJI, was a “serious threat” for press freedom.
No kidding, really?