Atheist Alexander Aan jailed today in Indonesia

Michael Nugent

Indonesian civil servant Alexander Aan was jailed today for sharing material on Facebook about the Prophet Mohammad.

Please contact the Indonesian embassy demanding his immediate release, and ask the Irish Government to urgently raise the issue with the Indonesian authorities.
http://atheistalliance.org/media/website/indonesian_contact.pdf

In Ireland, Senator Ivana Bacik and Senator Jillian Von Turnhout have raised Aan’s case in the Seanad in February, and called on the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore to raise the issue with the Indonesian authorities.

Cases like this also show the urgency of Ireland repealing our own new blasphemy law. Islamic states led by Pakistan have praised the new Irish law at the United Nations. And when the Indonesian blasphemy law was constitutionally challenged in 2010, the existence of the new Irish blasphemy law was cited in its support.

Alexander Aan is a 32-year-old Indonesian civil servant who started an atheist group on Facebook on which he published articles about Mohammad and questioned the existence of God. He was beaten up by his work colleagues then arrested for blasphemy. He was today jailed for two and a half years and fined Rp 100m (about $10,000).

Aan was originally charged with blasphemy and persuading others to embrace atheism, but was instead convicted under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law of deliberately spreading information inciting religious hatred and animosity.

This shows the dangers of mixing the ideas of blasphemy and incitement to religious hatred, as prosectors can easily interchange one with the other. The law should protect people, not ideas. And it should protect people from actual harm, but not from being offended.

We have consistently highlighted this case as part of our overall campaign to repeal blasphemy laws, including in this talk at the European Atheist Convention in Cologne in Germany last month, on the topic ‘Why we must combat blasphemy laws’.

christmas2012

I hear thats getting off lightly considering what they do to each other over there on a casual basis..

Hope he gets justice the poor guy..Sounds terrible what happened..

recedite

Indonesian consul; Mr Ray Sison
e-mail; indonesianconsul@ireland.com

MagicMarker

Anyone want to do up a draft template? I'm no wordsmith...

Sarky

Sent. That a country could laud Ireland's blasphemy law as anything other than f*cking retarded is just sad. Actually implementing and enforcing it to arrest people? Bloody hell, I don't have the words to describe how disgusting that is.

dlofnep

Notable mention too Hazma Kashgari in Saudi Arabia. Highlight two for the price of one.

Beruthiel

I have dropped Mr. Sison a heart tugging e-mail and expect to hear that Mr. Aan will be out of jail by the end of the day.

Rev Hellfire

Do people really expect email campaigns to have any effect?

nozzferrahhtoo

Hard to say really. Perhaps not. Perhaps. The only thing I can say with at least some notable degree of certainty is that doing absolutely nothing likely will have no effect.

Beruthiel

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Do people really expect email campaigns to have any effect?

No. Not often.
But sometimes, on a rare occasion they do.

recedite

Its not so much the eloquence of the e-mail, more the volume of mail representing an international support.
The first such campaign I ever got involved in was when I sent some postcards (before e-mail) to the Burmese military junta in support of Aung San Suu Kyi. The postcards were being handed out to people by Amnesty International. I'm pretty sure the only reason she's alive today is because people from outside that country took an interest in the case and the injustice there. Looking forward to seeing Bono present her with an Amnesty Int. award this week in Dublin.

sbsquarepants

Michael Nugent wrote: »

Cases like this also show the urgency of Ireland repealing our own new blasphemy law. Islamic states led by Pakistan have praised the new Irish law at the United Nations. And when the Indonesian blasphemy law was constitutionally challenged in 2010, the existence of the new Irish blasphemy law was cited in its support.

How embarrasing is that!
It's enough to make you want to crawl under a rock somewhere.

The whole idea of religious laws is a bit blasphemous in itself i think - is the very act of passing a law forbidding blasphemy, not akin to suggesting that <insert your gods name here> isn't all powerfull enough to deal with dissenters himself? Isn't that blasphemy? Retards!!

Michael Nugent

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Do people really expect email campaigns to have any effect?

Not on their own, but there have been cases of international pressure generally helping to have people released in cases like this, and email campaigns are one part of that wider international pressure.

As an aside, international pressure on Ireland is also helpful in the campaign to have our blasphemy law repealed. Irish politicians are used to brazening out nonsensical positions at home, but don't like having to defend the indefensible when they are working with their international colleagues.

Michael Nugent

sbsquarepants wrote: »

How embarrasing is that!
It's enough to make you want to crawl under a rock somewhere.

It's even worse than it sounds.

The Islamic states at the United Nations had for years been trying to have defamation of religion made a crime internationally.

When Ireland passed our new blasphemy law, the Islamic states started to incorporate the definition of blasphemy that was used in our law as what they wanted implemented internationally.

International pressure has since caused the Islamic states to start backing away from the defamation of religion tactic, but they are now re-inventing it in the guise of incitement to hatred of religion instead of defamation of religion.

Lucy8080

incitement to hatred of religion?

where did they get that terminology from michael?

biko

Muslims are the most easily offended "race" and have the harshest laws against free speech against religion.
A bad mix.


Just google "court blasphemy" and 99% hits will be from Muslim countries.

SeanW

Multicultual Lefty wrote:

But, but, but, Islam is the religion of peace! Who is to say that our way is better than theirs?

:rolleyes:

Just thought I'd get that argument out of the way!

qrrgprgua

Its important that People have a right to voice their beliefs (be them pro or contra religion)
This is a major violation of basic human rights.

But as usual muslim fundamentalism never sees faith for what it is.

Sarky

Typical atheist response :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Bacon and Cabbage

Did they just pick the first guy in the phonebook or what?

Irish Islamic Vanguards

Michael Nugent wrote: »

Indonesian civil servant Alexander Aan was jailed today for sharing material on Facebook about the Prophet Mohammad.

Please contact the Indonesian embassy demanding his immediate release, and ask the Irish Government to urgently raise the issue with the Indonesian authorities.
http://atheistalliance.org/media/website/indonesian_contact.pdf

In Ireland, Senator Ivana Bacik and Senator Jillian Von Turnhout have raised Aan’s case in the Seanad in February, and called on the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore to raise the issue with the Indonesian authorities.

Cases like this also show the urgency of Ireland repealing our own new blasphemy law. Islamic states led by Pakistan have praised the new Irish law at the United Nations. And when the Indonesian blasphemy law was constitutionally challenged in 2010, the existence of the new Irish blasphemy law was cited in its support.

Alexander Aan is a 32-year-old Indonesian civil servant who started an atheist group on Facebook on which he published articles about Mohammad and questioned the existence of God. He was beaten up by his work colleagues then arrested for blasphemy. He was today jailed for two and a half years and fined Rp 100m (about $10,000).

Aan was originally charged with blasphemy and persuading others to embrace atheism, but was instead convicted under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law of deliberately spreading information inciting religious hatred and animosity.

This shows the dangers of mixing the ideas of blasphemy and incitement to religious hatred, as prosectors can easily interchange one with the other. The law should protect people, not ideas. And it should protect people from actual harm, but not from being offended.

We have consistently highlighted this case as part of our overall campaign to repeal blasphemy laws, including in this talk at the European Atheist Convention in Cologne in Germany last month, on the topic ‘Why we must combat blasphemy laws’.

Hold on a second - Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country, with Islamic principles firmly tied into its constitution. The gentleman in question Alexander Aan carried out an act that is prohibited by law in that land - he did what he did knowing the risks and now should rightly take his punishment, he's fortunate its so lenient! Mr Nugent and others should realize that their liberal approach to things sacred is by no means the norm, they are a minuscule radical fringe movement in global terms and should be treated as such. That they think they can change laws in other countries because they find them offensive is laughable

Galvasean

Can't tell if troll or Poe...

Irish Islamic Vanguards

Dear me, disagreement is met by the banal troll label - grow up! The reality, despite the claims of 1st year college students, is that religion - in particular Islam - is on the rise. Ireland now boasts Islam as the fastest growing religion, a fact that the government in Ireland must recognize and eventually make provision for in terms of rights.

We believe it is time Muslims in Ireland pushed for greater inclusiveness and application of Sharia both within our own community and in private contracts.

http://islamicvanguards.com/?p=179

Galvasean

Irish Islamic Vanguards wrote: »

grow up!

That's rich coming from someone who would gladly see people who offer dissenting view points locked in prison and considers that lenient.

Irish Islamic Vanguards

Galvasean wrote: »

That's rich coming from someone who would gladly see people who offer dissenting view points locked in prison and considers that lenient.

given that Nugent et al would relegate religion to the private sphere - essentially silencing dissenting opinion - I'm not really sure why you'd find objection with my position.

Rev Hellfire

I don't believe there is anything in Irish law which prevents use of Sharia law where all parties wish to adhere to it and where it does not breach Irish law.

Sarky

Irish Islamic Vanguards wrote: »

given that Nugent et al would relegate religion to the private sphere - essentially silencing dissenting opinion - I'm not really sure why you'd find objection with my position.

It's easy to object to stupid positions. Your position is stupid, and therefore objectionable.

You're not very good at this.

MagicMarker

Yay, a new friend to laugh at play with.

coffee_cake

is this the crazy irish muslim convert who was in the paper? on a one man crusade saying "let's all give islam a go"?

Rasheed

Michael Nugent wrote: »

In Ireland, Senator Ivana Bacik and Senator Jillian Von Turnhout have raised Aan’s case in the Seanad in February, and called on the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore to raise the issue with the Indonesian authorities.

Where the hell did these senators come out of? I thought I was reading about senators in Austria or somewhere out there.

BeerSteakBirds

Irish Islamic Vanguards wrote: »

Hold on a second - Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country, with Islamic principles firmly tied into its constitution. The gentleman in question Alexander Aan carried out an act that is prohibited by law in that land - he did what he did knowing the risks and now should rightly take his punishment, he's fortunate its so lenient! Mr Nugent and others should realize that their liberal approach to things sacred is by no means the norm, they are a minuscule radical fringe movement in global terms and should be treated as such. That they think they can change laws in other countries because they find them offensive is laughable

Someone should have explained the concept of a country, it's culture and it's sovereign laws and the consequences of breaking those laws to disgusting people like you who wished to subvert the laws of Denmark over some cartoons of Mohammed causing murder, arson and vandalism in the name of religion. The people of Denmark are too lenient.