{"id":17417,"date":"2016-12-16T17:49:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-16T17:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge-60985\/"},"modified":"2016-12-16T17:49:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-16T17:49:00","slug":"in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/","title":{"rendered":"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/Jakarta_Governor_Basuki_Tjahaja_Ahok_Purnama_meets_with_the_Australian_ambassador_to_Indonesia_in_March_2016_Credit_DFAT_Timothy_Tobing_via_Flickr_CC_BY_20_CNA.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran \u2013 a charge he strongly denies.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court.<\/p>\n<p>The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,\u201d Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy.<\/p>\n<p>The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.\u00a0 Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor\u2019s immediate imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p>A smaller crowd of the governor's supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it.<\/p>\n<p>The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20.<\/p>\n<p>Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations.<\/p>\n<p>However, the country\u2019s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports.<\/p>\n<p>Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia\u2019s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>He had been the frontrunner in February's gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.<\/p>\n<div class=\"feedflare\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?a=j1dTsXqXQJ8:nl17UUPx-q8:yIl2AUoC8zA\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews\/~4\/j1dTsXqXQJ8\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/Jakarta_Governor_Basuki_Tjahaja_Ahok_Purnama_meets_with_the_Australian_ambassador_to_Indonesia_in_March_2016_Credit_DFAT_Timothy_Tobing_via_Flickr_CC_BY_20_CNA.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\" target=\"_self\">CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court.<\/p>\n<p>The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy.<\/p>\n<p>The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p>A smaller crowd of the governor&#8217;s supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it.<\/p>\n<p>The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20.<\/p>\n<p>Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations.<\/p>\n<p>However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports.<\/p>\n<p>Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>He had been the frontrunner in February&#8217;s gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.<\/p>\n<div>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?a=j1dTsXqXQJ8:nl17UUPx-q8:yIl2AUoC8zA\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews\/~4\/j1dTsXqXQJ8\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asia-pacific"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies. Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court. The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim. &ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters. He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy. The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions. Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment. A smaller crowd of the governor&#039;s supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it. The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20. Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations. However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. He had been the frontrunner in February&#039;s gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies. Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court. The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim. &ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters. He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy. The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions. Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment. A smaller crowd of the governor&#039;s supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it. The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20. Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations. However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. He had been the frontrunner in February&#039;s gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-12-16T17:49:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/Jakarta_Governor_Basuki_Tjahaja_Ahok_Purnama_meets_with_the_Australian_ambassador_to_Indonesia_in_March_2016_Credit_DFAT_Timothy_Tobing_via_Flickr_CC_BY_20_CNA.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/\",\"name\":\"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-12-16T17:49:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-12-16T17:49:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies. Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court. The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim. &ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters. He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy. The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions. Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment. A smaller crowd of the governor's supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it. The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20. Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations. However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. He had been the frontrunner in February's gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\",\"name\":\"Catholic News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\",\"name\":\"CNA Daily News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CNA Daily News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge","description":"Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies. Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court. The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim. &ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters. He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy. The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions. Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment. A smaller crowd of the governor's supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it. The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20. Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations. However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. He had been the frontrunner in February's gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge","og_description":"Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies. Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court. The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim. &ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters. He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy. The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions. Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment. A smaller crowd of the governor's supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it. The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20. Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations. However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. He had been the frontrunner in February's gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2016-12-16T17:49:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/Jakarta_Governor_Basuki_Tjahaja_Ahok_Purnama_meets_with_the_Australian_ambassador_to_Indonesia_in_March_2016_Credit_DFAT_Timothy_Tobing_via_Flickr_CC_BY_20_CNA.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/","name":"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-12-16T17:49:00+00:00","dateModified":"2016-12-16T17:49:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 \/ 10:49 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran &ndash; a charge he strongly denies. Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court. The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim. &ldquo;I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,&rdquo; Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters. He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy. The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.&nbsp; Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions. Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor&rsquo;s immediate imprisonment. A smaller crowd of the governor's supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it. The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20. Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations. However, the country&rsquo;s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia&rsquo;s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. He had been the frontrunner in February's gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/12\/in-indonesia-christian-governor-rejects-blasphemy-charge\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"In Indonesia, Christian governor rejects blasphemy charge"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17417\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}