An Indonesia woman was given a two-year prison term for posting a popular TikTok video where she recited an Islamic verse before eating pork.
Lina Lutfiawati, 33, was adjudged responsible for “inciting hatred” against religious people and organizations.
She must also pay a fine of $16,245 (£13,155). If she does not pay up, her sentence will be extended by three months.
This case is the most recent in a string involving contentious blasphemy laws in Indonesia, a country with a majority Muslim population.
Due to her love of Bollywood movies, Lina Lutfiawati took on the Indian name Lina Mukherjee and self-identifies as a Muslim. Islam forbids the consumption of pork under all circumstances.
The lifestyle influencer, who has more than two million TikTok subscribers, also runs a business in India.
She shared a video in March saying “Bismillah” before consuming crispy pork skin, which is an Arabic proclamation that means “in the name of God.”
At the time, she was travelling in Bali, a tourist hotspot in Indonesia that, unlike the rest of the country, has a majority Hindu population. Ms Lutfiawati said she tried pork out of curiosity.
Another Indonesian reported her to the police for “knowingly eating pork skin as a Muslim” after the video received millions of views and received harsh criticism.
Ms. Lutfiawati was charged by police in May for spreading hate speech, which they claimed was motivated by animosity toward her due to her ethnicity, religion, and race.
Also declaring the video to be blasphemous were numerous conservative organizations from all over the nation. The top Muslim clerical body in Indonesia, the Ulema Council, was among them.
On Indonesian social media, the reaction to her jailing has so far been divided, with many praising the judge and calling her actions blasphemous. Others have criticized Ms. Lutfiawati’s prison term, pointing out that the sentences handed out in cases of corruption are frequently much lighter.
The blasphemy laws in Indonesia have drawn the ire of rights organizations and activists for a long time because, in their opinion, they are frequently used to persecute religious minorities.
Six people were detained by Indonesian police last year after a bar advertised free alcohol for customers named Mohammed, which is against Islamic law.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, a former governor of Jakarta, was sentenced to almost two years in prison in 2017 for comments that were alleged to have insulted Islam.
Source-BBC
