Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, former governor of Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The blasphemy charges were leveled against him by extremist Muslims during the election. After Ahok lost the election, prosecutors moved to drop the blasphemy charges for a lighter charge that would only put Ahok on two years of probation. However, Jakarta judges ignored the prosecution’s advising, and moved ahead with Ahok’s blasphemy trial and sentence.

Asian Access’ Joe Handley explains, “In terms of the sentence itself, it’s a blasphemy charge because Ahok had quoted the Quran in what was interpreted to be out of context by the more radical side of interpretation of Islam. The moderates said he had no problem in what he said, but the more radical elements definitely had trouble with the way he quoted the passage.

“He lost the election probably because of this situation…. He was a strong believer and a strong witness for Christ in the midst of a very difficult country. So it’s a sad situation.”

The anti-blasphemy law in Indonesia has been in place since 1965. The utilization of Indonesia’s anti-blasphemy law rose in 2004 and has become an increasingly popular charge.

“It just shows you the need for really keen leadership within a country to be able to address problems like this. You know, [Ahok] did a fabulous job as a governor. But over and above that, when you have false charges that are levied against you, you need the type of environment created where people can speak truth in the midst of court systems; and unfortunately, he was taken out because of the…more radical elements of Islamic society in Jakarta.”

Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo courtesy of Adhi Rachdian via Flickr: https://goo.gl/OucQZF)

Indonesia touts Pancasila as an inclusive, multi-religious ideology they embrace. The country is comprised of multiple ethnic groups and over 700 spoken languages. However, Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim nation with the largest concentration of Muslims in the world — 87 percent of the population. While most are moderate Muslims in the secular society, extremist nationalism seems to be on the rise.

Analysts have remarked that Ahok’s case is disheartening because it showed that even someone who is the governor of the capital city and good friends with the Indonesian president can be targeted by religiously motivated attacks.

Handley adds, “I think it says a lot, not only about Indonesia, but the entire world. Everywhere we go where you have this kind of hard-right nationalistic approach to governance, you have these kinds of problems. So we’re seeing it worldwide with nationalism on the rise, which exacerbates the hard-line Islamic or other religious fronts. So in this ecosystem in which we now live politically it’s going to be harder and harder; and therefore, believers who are persecuted for their faith, I predict it’s going to be that much more difficult in these conditions.”

So what can the Church do? Handley says, “In these societies where you have radical Islamic or radial Hindu or radical Buddhist societies or elements within the country, we’ve got to be very wise and very judicious in how we lead the Church, in how we talk publicly about our faith, and how we address problems in society.”

Asian Access was recently in Jakarta, Indonesia celebrating 50 years of ministry throughout Asia. And Handley says they hope to have a deeper investment in the country through Gospel witnesses.

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

“When it comes to Indonesia, while we were there, we were able to meet some key leaders who are showing keen interest in the work of Asian Access — and what a better time. When you need Christ-like leadership in the marketplace, in the public sphere in the broader way, this could be a perfect opportunity for Asian Access to come in and do what we do well. We come alongside a few key leaders and help invest deeply in their lives so they can change the many in society.”

Please remember Ahok and Indonesia this week, and lift this case before the Lord. “Pray for Ahok as he’s facing the two years in jail. Pray for the country of Indonesia. There is a vast growing Christian population that is mostly underground, and in the midst of this kind of inflamed situation, they’re more at risk,” asks Handley.

“Then please pray for Asian Access as we discern our capacity and ability to move into the country and help serve the needs of that society. Pray that the right leaders would come to fruition for us, that God would open the doors for us to go in and serve, and then finally that the funding would come just in time for us to open that country and begin to invest deeply in the lives of key Christian leaders. It’s a key period of time for Jakarta, for Indonesia, and for the world at large.”

And if you’d like to support Asian Access as they ‘change the few who change the many’, click here to give at their website! The best thing that could happen in Indonesia is spiritual revival in the name of Christ, and Asian Access’ ministry partners are working to see God’s name made great throughout Asia.

Handley adds, “I just want to say thank you to Mission Network News and all the listeners out there who have come alongside of us over the years and supported the work we do. We’re deeply grateful for that.”

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, former governor of Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

But now, Jessica Gilbertson with Asian Access reports, “They charged him during the course of the campaign, which got dropped the day after he lost the election, interestingly…and he’s been fighting it for months throughout the campaign. Even when he submitted his candidacy, they kept having different requirements changed to make sure he can’t even put in his candidacy.”

Gilbertson goes on to say, “Now, a lot of people are really disappointed. You see on Instagram, they’re putting flowers everywhere like a mourning flower, like ones they send to a funeral. They’re saying [to] Ahok we’re just really sad that you left us when we were just falling in love with you.”

The reason several people in Indonesia appreciated Ahok as the capital city’s governor was because his leadership was a breath of fresh air from previous patterns of corruption.

“People had gotten used to the fact that if you govern people, you are like the king, you can do whatever you want and corruption was just running rampant. It was just something that was acceptable. Suddenly, [with Ahok] they realized, ‘Oh, this is what a clean government looks like,'” explains Gilbertson.

“He was basically just running everything transparently. He showed all the contracts, he just showed people how bad the corruption was by simply doing the job he needs to do.”

Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo courtesy of Adhi Rachdian via Flickr: https://goo.gl/OucQZF)

These religious attacks in a critical election show the growing influence extremist Muslim groups are gaining in Indonesia — a Muslim-majority nation.

“Indonesia is actually a moderate country in terms of Islam, but there’s always those radical elements, of course.”

Ahok broke a lot of barriers as a double-minority in Indonesia, being both Chinese and a Christian. “So [radical Muslim] people really feel threatened and they say, ‘We have to do everything we can to make sure he is not elected, because if we allow one Christian and one Chinese to hold such an important position, we’re afraid it’ll become…more of that in the future. So we just have to cut that off in the beginning.’”

But Gilbertson says Jakarta’s former governor is still holding to his faith. “I think his future is bright wherever he goes. He’s famously said, ‘I don’t care if a thousand hands are trying to take me down, because I know I just need one hand of the Lord to keep me in my place.’”

As a country, Indonesia has a unique terrain to deal with since it’s made up of around 18,000 islands. The landmasses are far-spread and while the government protects freedom of religion, policing all the islands can prove to be difficult.

Asian Access works with Christians in Indonesia, including the outer areas, and Gilbertson says they hear reports of social pressure.

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

“Even the Chinese community decided that maybe we should not vote for Ahok, otherwise we’re going to be targeted if he’s won. Some of the Muslims outside the island of Java really did a big rally and said if you’re a Muslim woman and you voted for Ahok, than by right, it’s okay to rape you…. The radical element will still happen in the outer parts of Indonesia, and it’s still a concern.”

But there’s good news. The Church in Indonesia is growing, and Asian Access stands witness to that. Often, Indonesian evangelists they work with will start conversations about Jesus by starting with what Muslims read about Him in the Koran. Then from that starting point, they introduce them to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through the Bible.

“We need to pray for them (the evangelists) because they’re the ones being targeted…. We talk to a lot of churches and they all confirm the conversion rate is really high in Indonesia.”

Please also pray for the continued growth of the Body of Christ in Indonesia, and for the believers to be bold in witnessing their faith.

(Photo courtesy of Global Media Sharing via Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/P55tFL)

Election results aren’t expected until later this month, but polls have indicated the winner might be Jakarta’s current governor, Basuki Purnama. However, it’s likely that a run-off vote will be taken in April if any one candidate doesn’t win at least 50 percent of the votes.

Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs USA explains why this vote isn’t only significant for Jakarta, but for the entire nation:

“This is the governor of Jakarta, which is one of the most visible positions in the entire country. In fact, the previous governor of Jakarta is now the president of the entire country.”

The potential for the governor of Indonesia’s capital city to become president is too great to ignore. Especially when you consider this is the first Christian and ethnic Chinese governor Jakarta has had in half a century, says BBC.

Purnama, also known as Ahok, stepped into the role when Joko Widodo took office as president in 2014 and has had mixed reviews.

Unity across religions?

There are six recognized religions in Indonesia, but Islam takes the majority at 87 percent of the population. Even so, they have embraced a state philosophy called Pancasila which includes as its third tenet the importance of unity.

And yet, VOM USA profiles the nation as being hostile to Christians. Nettleton explains why:

“The government offers religious freedom and typically we don’t see persecution coming from the government. We don’t see people being arrested for being a Christian or arrested for changing their faith. Where we do see persecution coming from is from radical Muslims within the culture.”

And, despite the Pancasila, some Muslims believe it is wrong to vote for a non-Muslim, meaning a non-Muslim would never have the opportunity to serve in an elected role in Indonesia.

At a campaign rally last year, Ahok addressed that fact and mentioned the Quran. Riots broke out across the nation and he was charged with blasphemy. So today, as he awaits the results of the election, Ahok is also on trial.

Al Jazeera says the blasphemy law, which was instituted in 1986, has often been used to target minorities (watch an interview with Al Jazeera and Ahok here). There is suspicion that the accusation in this case was politically motivated to ensure a Christian cannot become president.

On the flip side, Nettleton says, “If he is elected, I think it shows that the concept of Pancasila in the Indonesian language is working. That Indonesia, at least in the Jakarta area, the people really are functioning and living side-by-side.”

So, no matter how the court case or the election turns out, there are a few ways we can be praying for Indonesia.

Nettleton asks you to pray for a peaceful conclusion to the election process, and that the government will uphold religious freedom.

And he says, “People who are following Jesus need to be witnesses, they need to be sharing their faith, they need to be praying for their leaders, and we can pray that our brothers and sisters in Indonesia will kind of live up to those expectations.”

Basuki Cahaya Purnama, formerly the Deputy Governor of Jakarta and now Governor.
(Photo credit Wikipedia Commons)

Indonesia (MNN) — The recently-inaugurated Chinese Christian governor of Indonesia’s capital city, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, is finding new allies in Jakarta’s influential Muslim leaders.

Mr. Purnama, who goes by “Ahok,” reflects an “acceptance of diversity” agenda being put forth by the newly-elected President and former gubernatorial running mate, Joko Widodo.

“He’s referred to as a double-minority because he’s ethnic Chinese, which is a minority in Indonesia, and he’s also Christian,” notes a ministry friend with work in Indonesia (who has asked not to be named).

“Given the fact that Indonesia has a very large Muslim population, there are some leaders that have been very vocal [about], ‘This is not the kind of leader that we need for Jakarta.'”

Ahok met a great deal of opposition from Islamic hard-liners when he was announced as the city’s leader last month. Earlier this month, a spokesman for one fundamentalist group claimed, “We reject Ahok’s leadership. He does not represent Jakarta’s residents.

“We will elect a new governor who cares about Islam and its citizens, not Ahok.”

Leaders of large Muslim groups in Jakarta are now slamming the hard-liners’ efforts to stir up public unrest against the governor.

“The majority of Jakartans and Indonesians are accepting of the values of democracy,” says one Islamic leader.

“We want to continue to promote pluralism and to limit any violent actions like this. [The Islamic Defenders Front], so far, is only spreading hatred among religious followers and races.”

Christians in Jakarta are surrounding Ahok in prayer. Will you join them?

(Photo credit 8thirty8 Facebook page)

Pray for continued public support of Ahok. Ask the Lord to thwart attempts by Muslim hard-liners to remove him from a position of influence. Pray for strength and discernment for Ahok so he can continue representing Christ to unbelievers in Jakarta.

“There is a great hope that with the new president, and this new governor, there will be increased dialogue and respect for Christians,” notes the fore-mentioned believer.