Photo courtesy: Voice of the Martyrs Canada/Pastor Bentar and wife
Indonesia (MNN) ― Voice of the Martyrs Canada reports that Pastor Abraham Bentar was released from prison and rejoined his family on April 27, after completing two-thirds of his sentence and becoming eligible for parole.
Pastor Bentar was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad after a group of Muslims attacked him in West Java on March 9, 2006. While he was visiting relatives in West Java, the mob beat him, rolled over his van, stole its contents, burned it, and was threatening to burn him when the police arrived.
He was detained for security reasons in the Tasikmalaya police station and was transferred to Tasikmalaya's local prison after receiving his prison sentence.
While Pastor Bentar was in prison, his wife received over 10,000 letters and photographs from supporters around the world who were praying for her and her husband.
Officially, the government of Indonesia allows its citizens to freely choose their religious beliefs. In reality, the government prefers Islam. All Indonesians are required to carry an identification card that specifies their religious affiliation. At one point, 41 Indonesian Christians were thrown in prison for perceived blasphemy of the Koran on video.
About 80% of Indonesians are Muslim, and about 16% are Christian. Indonesia now has 11.5 million evangelicals--almost 9 times as many as it had 40 years ago.
