Atheist faces jail after Facebook remark

[Roybot]

AN Indonesian civil servant who declared himself an atheist on Facebook was arrested and is now facing jail for blasphemy after being attacked by an angry mob, police said today.

Alexander An, 30, who wrote "God doesn't exist" on his Facebook page, was beaten by a mob of dozens on Wednesday in his hometown in Pulau Punjung, West Sumatra province.

"He is suspected of having blasphemed against Islam," local police chief Chairul Aziz told AFP. "The man told police investigators that if God really exists and has absolute power, why didn't he prevent bad things from happening in this world."

An said on his Facebook page that he was brought up as a Muslim, like the vast majority in Indonesia, where blasphemy is a punishable crime carrying a maximum five-year prison term. Dozens of locals stormed into his office after a heated debate with them on Facebook over religion, police said.

An was also an administrator of a Facebook group promoting atheism with 1243 followers. His postings no longer appeared online following his arrest.

Atheist faces jail after Facebook remark | The Australian

 

[RazPaK]

I'm guessing Muslim countries, are not a good destination point for atheists. Just my guess.

 

[blooboy]

Why do people like these get so agressive. It makes others more abhorrent to Islam. Sufi is the way to go.

 

[livingdead]

There goes your moderate muslim country, I guess only malayasia and turkey are remaining.

 

[xTra]

"The man told police investigators that if God really exists and has absolute power, why didn't he prevent bad things from happening in this world."

I agree with him on this.

 

[Peregrine]

These atheists do go over board with their pseudo intellect.

 

[harpoon]

There goes your moderate muslim country, I guess only malayasia and turkey are remaining.

Did you forgot the Allah controversy in Malayasia. Turkey is secular mainly bcs its military is fundamentally secular.

 

[livingdead]

Did you forgot the Allah controversy in Malayasia. Turkey is secular mainly bcs its military is fundamentally secular.

Well that controversy makes some sense, we have similar issues in India. But beating somebody based on facebook confession is something different.
His was generic remark, nothing against islam.

 

[hunter_hunted]

Aur karo apne Status update .

 

[haywards]

Now... he definitely believe god exisit.....

 

[Luffy 500]

Indonesia did the right thing here. Athiest can't go on insulting our religion in a muslim majority state. ISLAM is not like every other
religion , its a way of life. Well done indonesia.

 

[harpoon]

Indonesia did the right thing here. Athiest can't go on insulting our religion in a muslim majority state. ISLAM is not like every other
religion , its a way of life. Well done indonesia.

He wrote "God doesn't exist".....how its insulting Islam.

 

[scrumpy]

He wrote "God doesn't exist".....how its insulting Islam.

Even if he did, who gave these morons the right to attack him?

 

[kavish]

Indonesia did the right thing here. Athiest can't go on insulting our religion in a muslim majority state. ISLAM is not like every other
religion , its a way of life. Well done indonesia.

 

[Perceptron]

There goes your moderate muslim country, I guess only malayasia and turkey are remaining.

You can remove Malaysia out of the equation ; It is again an Islamic state proclaimed by Mahathir Mohammed. And apostates are also persecuted there. So Turkey is the sole refuge of the atheists.