An Indonesian atheist puts freedom of religion to the test

Posted By Endy Bayuni
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 1:41 PM

The debate about God's existence is as old as mankind itself. Such questionings have set many a man on a spiritual journey to search for the truth. Some find God, and what they believe to be the truth. Others find nothing, and they become atheists. In Indonesia, where 88 percent of its 240 million people are Muslims, merely posing that question in public can land you in deep trouble.

The Indonesian police decision to arrest a man for posting the statement "God does not exist" in a Facebook message amounts to tampering with his freedom to inquire and seek the truth. Police say they were acting in response to public complaints. It is clear to all -- except those blinded by their faith -- who the sinner is here.

Alexander Aan, a 31-year old civil servant in Padang, the capital of the devoutly Muslim province of West Sumatra, faces charges of blasphemy for "insulting a major religion," an offense that carries a maximum five-year jail term. He was already the target of physical attacks by a group of radical Muslims before his arrest. He may as well stay in custody. There are people on the outside who are literally are clamoring for his head.

Although the Indonesian constitution guarantees freedom of religion, it also stipulates that every citizen must believe in one supreme god. Monotheism rules, at least technically. Indonesia is home to all the major world religions, but many of its people practice home-grown beliefs, including animism, at times in combination with their Islamic or Christian faiths. But while the nation appears to tolerate polytheism, there seems to be zero tolerance towards atheism.

http://transitions.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/02/15/an_indonesian_atheist_puts_freedom_of_religion_to_the_test