Jakarta governor takes stand in blasphemy trial

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia (AA) - The governor of Jakarta evoked the role of his Muslim godparents on his childhood on the first day of his blasphemy trial Tuesday, telling the court and cameras that he would never intentionally insult Islam.

As hundreds of thousands of people sat watching in front of televisions nationwide, the public prosecutor said that Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama had insulted clergy and the Quran during a speech in the Thousand Islands at the end of September.

“I did not intend to misinterpret Surah Al Maidah 51 nor commit blasphemy nor insult ulemas," Ahok told the five-judge panel in his defense statement.

The governor said that in his speech he had referred to "certain politicians" who had misused the Quran's Surah Al Maidah 51 to influence voters not to choose a non-Muslim as a politician.

Ahok -- a Christian of Chinese descent -- is one of three candidates -- one a son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -- for the Feb. 15, 2017 gubernatorial election in which he hopes to be returned as governor.

“It is clear that the verse was not intended for the appointment of a head of an administration, especially in Indonesia, in which the head of an administration does not serve as a religious leader," Ahok told the Jakarta court.

Since being accused of blasphemy, Ahok has apologized for his original comment and maintained that he was calling for people not to be “deceived” by those using the chapter, not that the verse itself was insulting.

The trial follows weeks of investigations after police received complaints following Ahok's trip to the regency.

Around 13 different parties subsequently reported him to the police on charges of defamation, and hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets of Jakarta for two demonstrations -- one which turned violent -- to demand the governor be imprisoned.

Since the late September incident, police have questioned Ahok at least twice and asked for testimony from around 40 people, some of them from the Indonesian Ulema Council, along with experts on the Quran, criminal law and linguistics.

Police have also seized video showing the speech, and compiled documents relating to the investigation, along with testimony from witnesses and experts.

On Tuesday, hundreds of people staged a demonstration outside the court, demanding Ahok -- an ally of ex Jakarta governor President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo -- be punished.

Nearly 3,000 police guarded the proceedings.

The trial could take two to three months.

If found guilty, Ahok faces up to five years in prison.