Bible Is the Only Companion For Jakarta's Christian Ex-Governor in Prison As He Serves 2-Year Jail Term for Blasphemy
Jakarta's Christian ex-governor is not alone as he serves his two-year prison sentence in a high-security police facility.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known by his Chinese nickname Ahok, has a mighty companion with him—God no less, living inside the Bible that he has been allowed to bring with him, his sister Fifi Lety Indra told Reuters.
"He loves reading his Bible. He has it with him and he can pray whenever he wants," she said.
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While behind bars, Ahok is not allowed to have access to television or phone. Even family visits are restricted to twice a week for just two hours at a time.
On Tuesday last week, an Indonesian court found Ahok guilty of blasphemy and ordered his immediate arrest. The court's decision stunned the nation considering that the prosecution toned down its demand after the Christian governor lost the election to Anies Baswedan. Instead of pushing its earlier demand for a five-year jail term for the defeated governor, the prosecution recommended that, if he is found guilty, he should instead be given a two-year probation during which the jail term would be suspended.
If he did not commit any crime within the two-year probationary period, he could skip jail term altogether, the prosecution said.
However, the court dismissed this recommendation and imposed a two-year jail term on Ahok, effective immediately—a move that some analysts see as an indication of Islam's growing influence in politics in the supposedly religiously tolerant Indonesia.
After Ahok was sent to Cipinang prison, thousands of Indonesians changed their profile pictures on social media to a black square in a show protest, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The authorities later transferred him to the high-security police compound in Depok after his supporters blocked traffic and tried to bring down a prison fence in the prison, which holds drug offenders and Islamist militants.
While campaigning for re-election in September, Ahok criticized his political opponents for using verse 51 of al-Maida, a chapter of the Quran, to persuade voters not to support him because he was non-Muslim.
His opponents, including hard-line Islamic groups, regarded his statements as an insult to Islam. They staged massive rallies calling for his prosecution, leading to his blasphemy trial.
