Maryam Namazie Requests Support of Indonesian Man Charged With Blasphemy For Posting “God Does Not Exist” On Facebook

An Indonesian man supposedly posted “God does not exist” on his Facebook page.  Soon after authorities beat him, dragged him down to the local police station, and charged with blasphemy.

If the man, identified as Alexander Aan, fails to “repent” and accept one of the six accepted religions of Indonesia, he could face up to five years in prison, as well as losing his job.

Indonesia acknowledges six official religions — Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhism and Confucianism — but atheism is illegal, the AP reported. The nation, which has a population of 240 million, is predominantly Muslim.

Jakarta Globe quotes Aan as saying:

“If God indeed exists, why do bad things happen,” he was quoted as saying. “There should only be good things if God is merciful.”

Alexander said he was born a Muslim but ceased religious activities in 2008.

“I have no idea what the problem is. When I arrived at the office, a mob came and beat me, and took me to the police.”

Maryam Namazie shared an email on her blog, which asked for support for Aan.  According to the email, he exercised his right to free speech in a democratic country by openly questioning God’s existence and criticizing Islam.  Unfortunately, questioning religion is illegal in Indonesia.

The group’s Facebook webpage states:

Please support Alexander Aan, who is at this very moment sitting in an Indonesian prison cell for questioning Islam and the existence of god on his Facebook wall. This is an actual CRIME in Indonesia. If he is convicted, he will be killed in prison. If he is not convicted, he will be killed outside of prison by religious fanatics, police or the FPI.

Namazie also requests that we all rally to support Aan, through the Facebook page, and his right to free speech as a human being.  I would also like to add the human right to freedom FROM religion as well.  No one should be forced to chose a religion or believe something they do not.  It is a human right and not just part of the U.S. Constitution that human are allowed freedom of religion or no religion, as well as free speech, without coercion to believe something they do not.

Atheism and freethought in general, should not be illegal, but a human right not to believe in a god, especially if one sees no evidence for a god.  At the same time, if one chooses Wiccan, Paganism, or Pantheism as their religion, they should have that right as human beings.  Everyone should have the freedom to believe as they want, as long as it is not harming anyone.

Mriana

Mriana is a humanist and the author of "A Source of Misery". She has two grown sons and raises cats. She enjoys writing, reading, science, philosophy, psychology, and other subjects. Mriana is also an animal lover, who cares for their welfare as living beings, who are part of the earth. She is a huge Star Trek fan in a little body.

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  • http://www.justfilm.co.uk ChrisP

    Thinking for yourself and expressing your thoughts is a basic human right, provided that expression does not interfere with another's human rights. But then it is not just in Idonesia that human rights are ignored.

    • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

      I agree and as I said at the end, "as long as it does not harm others". Saying there is no god does not harm anyone. It is just words, if not even a statement of lack of belief in a god. That's all it is.

  • rusty shackleford

    Wow,

    Here in the United States of the Americas our good and wise founders came to the conclusion that freedom of speech was a right endowed to all by a power > man's. You have the right to say such things here. You have a right to say such things HERE because the powdered wig and shoebuckle set believed in something >then humanity. Personally I know that there is nothing that can be that is not GOD.

  • Artiewhitefox

    Bad things happen as men see them because of the human capable of blaspheming Gods name. it is elementary Watson. A blasphemer will do what Adam, and Eve did in the beginning. A dog will take all the blame. Humans will want to blame God or someone else for bad in this world. Had Our first parents put their proverbial tail between their legs when they meet God in the garden saying they were sorry Satan would have had Zero affect on them, and Eden would still be a reality.

  • Artiewhitefox

    Do not arrest the man. The arresting human is just as guilty as he simply because he dies

  • Artiewhitefox

    Bad things happen as men see them because of the human capable of blaspheming Gods name. it is elementary Watson. A blasphemer will do what Adam, and Eve did in the beginning. A dog will take all the blame. Humans will want to blame God or someone else for bad in this world. Had Our first parents put their proverbial tail between their legs when they meet God in the garden saying they were sorry Satan would have had Zero affect on them, and Eden would still be a reality.
    Do not arrest the man. The arresting human is just as guilty as he simply because he dies

  • Donny4luv

    Speaking of criminality, it just goes to show how terribly afraid of God (real or imagined)these Indonesian believers are. Does anyone dare to ask why, if God is real, wouldn't he himself deal with this person?