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?
particolor says
Any excuse will do for those Crack Pots ! If you said Islam was Wonderful they would go Beserk ?? .
Saleem Smith says
Many Muslims DO believe that “Islam is wonderful”, “Islam is perfect” etc.
They have to believe such nonsense. The cost of not doing so is great indeed.
Muslims are so sensitive to criticism of Islam because the truth hurts and because they so greatly fear the many threats of “Islamic hell fire” they find written in the Quran for those who leave the cruel cult of Mohammedanism.
Muslims that do not defend “the honor” of Islam and its filthy prophet are widely considered blasphemers and apostates by fellow Muslims and routinely put to death across the Islamic world in 2014.
ISIS members take special delight in killing those who refuse to submit to Islamic rule.
We ex-Muslims living with Islam’s formal and informal death penalty for apostasy know that Muslims are trapped in Islam for a number of reasons and that none of them are good.
Saleem Smith says
Spelling/grammar correction –
‘Muslims are trapped in Islam for a number of reasons, none of which are good’
mortimer says
‘Yes’ is the answer to your question, particolor.
A kafir is not allowed to ‘mention anything impermissible about Islam, Allah or Mohammed’. If you do, you are a blasphemer. A kafir may not read the Koran or teach about Islam.
FatherJon says
That’s the kind of thing that worries Australians about Indonesia. Despite the new President Jokowi and all the fine rhetoric about democracy and freedom of speech etc, something like this happens. We have to wonder where they stand when the chips are down. They’re either with us or against us.
RonW says
You’re joking, rright? The Inonesians hate our guts, and always have. Personally I think they envy us, without understanding why it is that they live in a sh#thole…
shrugger says
You’ve just summed up all islam in a single sentence.
duh_swami says
The skull and cross bones is a symbol of poison, which is an accurate one word definition of Islam…Poison…Drink of this cup and die, spriritually if not actually.
Adrian Rainbow says
How can this be blasphemous, when Kerry, Obama, Cameron and the Pope keep telling us that ‘Islamic state’ is NOT about Islam?
mortimer says
That’s the point. If ISIS ‘misunderstands’ real Islam, the cartoon is not blasphemy!
Kasey says
ISIS is all about Islam. They know it and so do we but deception, denial and deceit are all part of the doctrine of taqiyya and it must be applied in all cases where any hint of denegration of Islam is concerned.
kENNETH T TELLIS says
Reality, is reality and Islam has not left its birthdate of 532 A,D. so it has not grown or evolved, that is the very reason it is stagnating into the cult od death!. And the very clue to that is how the ISIS pseudo Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s thinking process. This man is without question a maniac of immense proportions and has to be removed very quickly or all Muslims will be considered as mad as Baghdadi, who has mental problems that have not been dealt with!
FatherJon says
Good point Ken. I find myself torn when it comes to attributing too much of ISIS’ appeal to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, although it’s definitely an ongoing recruitment factor for ISIS.
Tracing back the conquests and eventual defeats of Islam, one can see that there’s always been a ‘risorgimento’ element which argues that they were duded at the Gate of Vienna and a determination to catch up where they left off evangelising the entire world. The modern version of ‘the Brotherhood’ has been on the go for a century or more. Sadly we’re all feeling its effects now, not just Christians and others, but fellow Muslims too who acknowledge different prophets.
cs says
i think you put 100 years too early…
James says
When Isaiah 9:6 gives the title of “Prince of Peace” to Jesus, included are also the titles of “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father” . . . When a Christian refers to Jesus as Mighty God or Everlasting Father, that in and of itself, is considered to be blasphemy within Islam.
When Jesus says “Before Abraham was born, I am.” in John 8:58 . . . that statement is considered to be blasphemy within Islam.
This is why it is so important to be able to blaspheme against a religion. In what is called the “Triangle of Blaphemy” some of the primary principles of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity necessarily blaspheme against each of the other two at the very core of each belief system.
penelope says
islam is submission, terror, and all bad stuff. This man is just telling the truth, something anyone who practices islam would never understand. truth is not in their dna and will never be long as they refuse to face the truth of the matter.
Transfinite Cardinal says
Islam is the ultimate blasphemy against god. God is not the revolting mass murdering tyrant that the Koran potrays him to be.
Transfinite Cardinal says
Google Jake Neumann and read this powerful critique against islam regarding it as the ultimate blasphemy against God
Free Speech says
Let me be perfectly clear, Mohammed was not Islamic.
BHO
mortimer says
It’s all deception…they are saying…Islam has nothing to do with Islam.
mortimer says
The blasphemy charge is an admission that Islam’s Jihad Cult is authentic Islam. If the prosecutor believed ‘Islam is peace’ he would not take offense, because the editor is not mocking ‘Islam’ but the ‘perversion’ of Islam of ISIS.
By prosecuting him, they are agreeing that jihad is normative Islam and that ISIS accurately understands jihad as warfare against disbelievers.
Jay Boo says
But voeg would warn us, “don’t trust this guy, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat he is a Muslim”
Of course we should not trust him. So what?
This is good news regardless that even Muslims themselves are symbolically showing the Allah is terrorism link.
Let us hope that no one reports this editor to Ben Affleck or to the Al Jazeera sponsored NPR-BBC during an Islamophobia marathon week.
Salah says
More good news:
Ahmed Harqan, a 27 year old Egyptian Salafi openly and publicly leaves Islam.
I was watching this arabic TV show and to my great surprise (and delight) Harqan said to the Muslim scholar debating him:
“Islam is a harsh religion, which was being implemented by ISIS and Boko Haram. They are doing what the Prophet Muhammad and his companions did.”
This happened openly, on public TV, in a Muslim country (Egypt,) from an ex-Salafi young man.
Things are changing!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Harqan
St. Croix says
Is Harquan still in prison? He was attacked and then arrested just after the interview was aired. Along with his wife and a friend.
FatherJon says
This should be another test of the secular principles espoused by President Joko along with the cartoon issue. In a modern progressive Muslim country, as Indonesia wants to be known, a man should be able to change or disavow his religion without fear of reprisals.
Salah says
Ahmad and Saly Harqan, and their friend Kareem Jimy were released and charges against them were dropped.
He appeared on a number of talk shows. He still is.
Egypt is trying to implement the concept of free speech. Things are not perfect yet, but they are getting better by the day.
Free speech will eventually destroy Islam from within.
somehistory says
islam says to everyone else: Your truth is not our truth and our truth changes from moment to moment in whatever way is necessary to the defense of the beast that is islam. So, If you can’t refrain from telling the truth, our truth of the moment, say nothing at all.
Cartoons have a way of telling the truth when words are not allowed. On pain of being fired…or killed if it touches the beast of islam.
Jay Boo says
somehistory said,
” Your truth is not our truth and our truth changes from moment to moment in whatever way is necessary to the defense of the beast that is islam. ”
—————————–
I would add to that,
Islam is like a virus; it mutates and changes its outer shell to infect but the inner core is still just as lethal.
This is why the government policy of whack a mole while praising Islam and its false prophet are doomed to failure.
Islam will always find new recruits unless it is called for what it is.
I might also mention that the theoretical policy of deportation that voeg seeks to be in vogue is a myth without foundation doomed to irrelevance for the same reasons.
somehistory says
The beast bites the victims and passes its infection, its virus. Like ancient people thought illness was spread by wicked spirits, modern people believe islam is harmless. Ancient thought is closer when it comes to islam…it is connected to the most evil of all, satan.
Ayatrollah says
In Indonesia you can’t tie Islam to anything negative. There is no “good” Islam or “bad” Islam. There is only Islam
Zebo says
finally confirmed that telling the truth about islam is blasphemic.
btw-Just sent some isis fighters to indonesia and the persecutor would be instantly killed them for calling isis blasphemists,because they”d say this is blasphemic.
But no suprise at all,Islam itself is 100% pure blasphemie.
A retard cruel god and a massmurdering pedo as prophet.
There is no bigger blasphemie than this.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
This week the excellent Diana West published her last column. Her reason for quitting is the divorce between reality and accepted fact, in other words, fictive reality. The point was that it does no good to point out facts if the MSM makes sure that they’re not accepted by the populace, so why bother. I point this out here because Jakarta is President Obama’s birthplace. It’s clear that his birth certificate and draft card applications are apparent fakes, but there was not even a “credible” dialog about them. Not mentioned but just as telling is that he asked that his record at Columbia be left sealed (secret). No facts, no reality; no reality, no progress.
Could it ever be that Spencer loses his energy and optimism and just up and quits? He’d certainly have good reason to. When, or will, the truth break through the informational blockade that has cloaked Islam for so long? Ever, or never?
ManchesterLad says
But the message is slowly getting through, be it ever so slowly.
Five years ago, in the UK, my lefty friends would have had kittens if I had even mentioned that Islam was a pathetic and disgusting religion. Now they would just call me a racist … for the left that is progress 🙂
The question must be, will this slow realisation of the west be fast enough to reverse the effects before it’s too late?
How can the liberal left reverse their policies of the last thirty years. It is going to be very hard if they ever attempt it. But this has to be better than the inevitable civil wars that will otherwise rise up.
FatherJon says
How true, they just love to chuck that ‘racism’ epithet around without any real knowledge of the meaning of the word. It’s just a way to shut down any controversial stream of discussion and labels the accuser as a gross ignoramus in my view.
Arthur says
“God help us all,” as they say, if Robert Spencer throws in the towel!
Ernie says
I love this cartoon ! Nice , well done !!!
Johnny Canuck says
A cartoon is a mirror that forces Muslims to confront the reality of their twisted, malicious beliefs. Publishing such truthful reflections is not for the faint of heart, but, given the angry reaction of Muslims to a cartoon, it seems to be the most effective method to unveil their insidious intention to dominate the world through Koran inspired violence. Moreover, because of Muslims’ irate overreaction to self-reflection, cartoons often go viral, exposing to the rest of the world the inherent violence and hate that is the foundation of Islam.
May the Creator bless the editor of the Jakarta Post and keep him safe from the machinations of the Fourth Reich, Islam.
Davegreybeard says
@Jay Boo
“But voeg would warn us, “don’t trust this guy, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat he is a Muslim””
“I might also mention that the theoretical policy of deportation that voeg seeks to be in vogue is a myth without foundation doomed to irrelevance for the same reasons.”
Voegelinian sure lives rent free in your brain, Jay Boo.
Jay Boo says
That is a good comeback line.
But notice in particular the second line of my first quote that you left off
But voeg would warn us, “don’t trust this guy, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat he is a Muslim”
— (Of course we should not trust him. So what?)
That is merely a pre-emptive
I will use it sparingly
JS says
To put a more positive spin on what Obama, Biden cs have said all along, they are right, we need to help all muslims to distance themselves from Islam. We need to rescue all muslims from Islam… If we could make ISIS realize that their killings and violence had nothing to do with Islam, hopefully, they would feel empty and guilty. It is precisely the evil teaching of Islam that make them feel justified to murder. Islam seals them from any criticisms.
Champ says
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh well, I can think of another, besides allah/satan, who’s worthy of worship: the One True God! ..that’s who!
allah is NOT the God of the Bible:
http://kingmessiahproject.com/is_allah_not_God.html
Sally says
The editor is wrong in presuming the IS is not Islamic. The authorities could only charge blasphemy if they think IS is correct.
Actually, IS, and Boku Haram too, are practicing Islam as written in the Quran, Sunna and Hadiths. It is a cruel cult masquerading as a religion.
Those who are not practicing it like IS are more peaceful people, but they are only cherry picking parts of the religion that they are personally morally in agreement with. Actually you could say the more peaceful ones are not really practicing Islam.
Arthur says
In the first place, I don’t get all the uproar. Wouldn’t ISIS have strongly considered adopting the cartoon’s flag design in the first place, what with the idea of striking terror into all people within a month’s journey, etc? Going from the pirate flags (granted these flags are from English Caribbean pirates, not the Muslim pirates of the Mediterranean) through to ISIS, there is a bit of continuity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Roger#mediaviewer/File:Flag_of_Edward_England.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Roger#mediaviewer/File:Pirate_Flag_of_Jack_Rackham.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Standard#mediaviewer/File:Flag_of_Majlis.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Standard#mediaviewer/File:ShababFlag.svg
Strange and telling that the objection arises from the design of the flag and not the mass murder in the background…
FatherJon says
Indonesia and Egypt have attracted plenty of comment here, but another country of concern, to Australia especially, is Malaysia where Islamist extremism is on the rise. Malaysia is set to become a temporary member of the UN Security Council in the new year but its human rights record and freedom of expression and religion do not stand scrutiny. The currently used version of the Koran, the Hilali-Khan translation, tells people that they can treat non-Muslims as second-class citizens, a worry to the country’s 42% Christians, Hindus and Chinese.
The High Court this week was debating a fatwa against a women’s rights group, ‘Sisters In Islam’. An open letter signed by many of Malaysia’s leading academics has condemned the use of Islam to defend ‘racism and gross injustice’.
I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of the negative aspects of Islam in Malaysia.
cs says
Jakarta Post’s editor faces blasphemy charge for cartoon mocking Islamic State
ISLAM.
geoff says
Thats a crap cartoon, cos it does not also show isis as being gay cowardly wife beating pedofiles.If your gonna get persecuted for a cartoon, make sure you get all the facts within the picture !!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS !