Comedian sentenced to 7 months in prison in Indonesia for insulting Prophet Mohammad

Ouliya Rehman

Jakarta (Indonesia) – An Indonesian comedian, Aulia Rahman, has been sentenced to 7 months in prison for insulting Prophet Mohammad.

1. Riki Ramadhan, a spokesman for the Lampung Prosecutor’s Office, stated that Aulia Rahman participated in a one-man comedy show on Sumatra Island in December. During the performance, Aulia made a joke saying, “Many people named Mohammad in Indonesia are behaving badly today.” This statement led to his conviction.

2. In 2017, former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, was sentenced to 2 years in prison for insulting Prophet Mohammad. Human rights organizations in the country have consistently campaigned against such laws, arguing that they are misused to target religious minorities.

Editorial Perspective

Insults against Prophet Mohammad are punished in Islamic countries, but insults against Hindu Deities in India often go unpunished.