Jailed in Indonesia for Doubting God - Alexander Aan

[Glob]

Originally Posted by Logic please

FWIW, there is some speculation that Michelle Leslie's apparent adoption of islamic dress and posture for the duration of her trial in Bali, was also similarly strategic. Arguably, it "worked" in her case, if so.

So, it's not unheard of, I guess. I stress that I'm not pre-empting what is happening in the current case, though.

Interesting.

Of course, the major difficulties for Aan are:

1. He has already been sentenced (Leslie did not need to lodge an appeal)

2. He has been found guilty of blasphemy, as opposed to something that is not considered to be a direct crime against the religion itself.

[Fearless]

Originally Posted by Glob

I wonder about Aan's apparent conversion back to Islam after his conviction. If I had to bet on it, I would say that it was a strategic move (though I doubt it will work for him, considering what he is up against). It will be interesting to see whether he is an atheist or muslim after being released from prison.

Yeah, I took that with a grain of salt. I'd almost say anything not to get killed or beaten if that was what I might have been at risk of. Hard to say really.

Something tells me that his treatment surely wouldn't bring him closer to faith. I'd be surprised.

[Mithridates]

@ Glob

You're quite right - I was "shooting from the hip" a bit when I said "many" - apologies for that. It is, though, difficult to estimate the degree of scepticism and unbelief in a society where expressing such doubt can not only get you into serious legal trouble, but may result in you being set upon and beaten by a mob.

Imagine what life must have been like for sceptics and atheists in the Middle Ages, when it was a burning offence!

Regards

Mithridates

[Glob]

Originally Posted by Mithridates

@ Glob
Imagine what life must have been like for sceptics and atheists in the Middle Ages, when it was a burning offence!

Not much seems to have changed in many parts of the world...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy#Countries

[Mithridates]

Originally Posted by Glob

Not much seems to have changed in many parts of the world...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy#Countries

Right again - so much for "There is no compulsion in Religion", or "If you kill one person, it's as if you killed the whole world: if you save one person it's as if you saved the whole world" - oft repeated quotes by Islam's apologists.

A more accurate one might be "There is no compunction in Religion."

Regards
Mithridates

[Xeno]

Unless I missed one, is there any country in the list here whish is not muslim? Is that not the religion which historically boasts its tolerance compared with the christians of the Crusades?

There is nothing like selection.

[Glob]

Originally Posted by Xeno

Unless I missed one, is there any country in the list here whish is not muslim? Is that not the religion which historically boasts its tolerance compared with the christians of the Crusades?

There is nothing like selection.

Indeed, these are all Muslim countries.

Islamic apostasy laws seem to contradict the Quran.

http://quran.com/39/41


I would be very interested to know if apostasy is punishable under the law in any non-Islamic countries.

[Orphia Nay]

The atheist community has embraced the cause of an Indonesian man, Alexander Aan, who was beaten and jailed after denying God’s existence on Facebook and posting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Center for Inquiry, a Washington-based humanist organization, launched a petition Tuesday (July 17) on behalf of Alexander Aan, a 30-year-old Indonesian civil servant currently serving a 30-month jail sentence for “deliberately spreading information inciting religious hatred and animosity,” according to the judge who sentenced him.

The petition asks the Obama administration to pressure the Indonesian government for Aan’s release and for better protection of religious freedom in that country, the most populous Muslim nation in the world.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...JwW_story.html

Please sign and share the Whitehouse.gov petition, should you feel moved to do so:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...r-aan/vYBQzxXy

Alternatively, or in addition, please sign this petition addressed to the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/349/9...alexander-aan/

[Mjt]

Done.

[Seamus]

The 'crime' is not atheism,but apostasy,common in most Muslim countries. Unjust? Of course, but since when did the law have anything to do with justice? He should have known better..