A woman was sentenced to two years in prison by an Indonesian court after being found guilty of violating the nation’s blasphemy rules in a TikTok food video she made in March.
Given that eating pork is prohibited in Islam, 33-year-old Lina Mukherjee was found guilty of “spreading information intended to incite hatred against religious individuals.” It happened after a local complained about Mukherjee in March for the viral video in which she said the Muslim blessing “in the name of God” before eating crispy pork.
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If she doesn’t pay a 250 million rupiah (Ksh 3.7 million) fine, her sentence would be increased by three months in jail, according to the verdict. Pork consumption is prohibited in Indonesia, a nation with a mainly Muslim population, and those found guilty may potentially face blasphemy charges. Lina reportedly recorded the contentious TikTok video while she was traveling in Bali. Hindus are the majority only in Bali, which includes all of Indonesia.
According to the court, Lutfiawati, also known as Lina Mukherjee, identified as a Muslim. In addition to apologizing publicly for the video, Lutfiawati also expressed surprise at the decision. Speaking on the local television channel MetroTV, Lutfiawati said, “I recognize that I am guilty, but I did not expect this penalty.
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The case is the most recent in a string of blasphemy prosecutions that have been brought throughout the nation, usually against people who are thought to have offended Islam. According to observers, these cases damage Indonesia’s reputation for tolerance.
