https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-govt-targets-blasphemous-christian-cleric/96534
Indonesia’s government and top Muslim clerical body have demanded police take action against a Protestant pastor for insulting Islam after he allegedly urged the religious affairs minister to remove 300 verses from the Quran.
Reverend Abraham Ben Moses, 57, who has previously served a prison term for blasphemy, was also critical of what was being taught in Islamic schools and calls to prayer over mosque loudspeakers.
The preacher made the controversial calls in a video clip that went viral on social media this week, saying the Quran verses made Muslims intolerant and stoked extremism.
In the video, Rev. Moses lent his voice to calls for mosques to make calls to prayer quieter but went on to suggest that Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Quomas remove 300 Quran verses to foster tolerance and peace with religious minority groups. However, he did not specify which verses should be removed.
The call prompted an angry response from Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
“Police need to investigate this and block or remove his [social media] account because he is damaging interreligious relations as well as committing blasphemy,” Mahfud said on March 16.
“We can have different opinions but we don’t insult religions. We must respect them.”
The MUI issued a similar statement and called for Muslims to remain calm and allow police to handle the matter.
“We urge that police take action against the reverend, who must be punished severely,” said general secretary Amirsyah Tambunan.
In his video, Rev. Moses, a former Muslim from Bima in West Nusa Tenggara province, also urged minister Quomas to revise curriculums and change teachers in madrasas (Islamic schools) and Islamic boarding schools (pesantrens) because they were producing extremists and terrorists.
“I was radicalized because I studied in a pesantren,” he said, adding that was what eventually led him to be baptized a Christian in 2006….
Indonesia’s government and top Muslim clerical body have demanded police take action against a Protestant pastor for insulting Islam after he allegedly urged the religious affairs minister to remove 300 verses from the Quran.
Reverend Abraham Ben Moses, 57, who has previously served a prison term for blasphemy, was also critical of what was being taught in Islamic schools and calls to prayer over mosque loudspeakers.
The preacher made the controversial calls in a video clip that went viral on social media this week, saying the Quran verses made Muslims intolerant and stoked extremism.
In the video, Rev. Moses lent his voice to calls for mosques to make calls to prayer quieter but went on to suggest that Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Quomas remove 300 Quran verses to foster tolerance and peace with religious minority groups. However, he did not specify which verses should be removed.
The call prompted an angry response from Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
“Police need to investigate this and block or remove his [social media] account because he is damaging interreligious relations as well as committing blasphemy,” Mahfud said on March 16.
“We can have different opinions but we don’t insult religions. We must respect them.”
The MUI issued a similar statement and called for Muslims to remain calm and allow police to handle the matter.
“We urge that police take action against the reverend, who must be punished severely,” said general secretary Amirsyah Tambunan.
In his video, Rev. Moses, a former Muslim from Bima in West Nusa Tenggara province, also urged minister Quomas to revise curriculums and change teachers in madrasas (Islamic schools) and Islamic boarding schools (pesantrens) because they were producing extremists and terrorists.
“I was radicalized because I studied in a pesantren,” he said, adding that was what eventually led him to be baptized a Christian in 2006….
