Law lecturer Mirza Alfath arrested in Indonesia for criticizing Sharia Law

Law lecturer Mirza Alfath has joined civil servant Alexander Aan as the latest Indonesian Facebook user to become a victim of mob rule and blasphemy laws.

Alexander Aan has already been jailed, after being assaulted in his office, because he wrote on Facebook that God does not exist and published material about the life of Mohammad.

Now Mirza Alfath has been arrested in the province of Aceh, after a mob attacked his home, because he wrote a Facebook post in July criticizing the modern use of Sharia Law.

This week the Serambi newspaper published a letter from a Muslim activist, quoting Mirza’s posts and accusing him of insulting Islam.

As so often happens in these cases, a mob attacked his home and the police arrested him (and not the mob), officially for his own safety.

He published a ‘final post’ on Facebook, seemingly while in police custody, which assured his friends that he was okay, before his account was deactivated.

Mirza has publicly reaffirmed his status as a Muslim and apologized for his Facebook post, but he may still face blasphemy charges.

Whatever the outcome of this case, it is another example of the incendiary combination of angry mobs and blasphemy laws.

Throughout history, developments in communications technology have often been the trigger for fundamental changes in society.

The Internet is now a major battleground on which the war is being fought between freedom of expression about religion and suppression of dissent.

We must redouble our efforts to have all blasphemy laws repealed.

And we should use the Internet that they are trying to stifle to spread the news as widely as possible of this latest infringement of human rights.

Mirza’s Facebook post criticizing Sharia Law

This is the original Facebook post by Mirza that caused the mob to attack his home:

“Sharia Law has obviously a lot of weaknesses and shortcomings. It is no longer feasible for today’s modern and advanced society. Sharia law is only suitable for the era when people were still lacking of  knowledge and science.

One disadvantage is that the Islamic sharia never allow ‘field evidence’ and science in their legal decision process. It relies solely on witnesses, for example, in the case of a rape, the victim must bring four witnesses who saw the suspect raping the victim.

While in the case of adultery, a pregnant woman is enough as an evidence of adultery, which leads to stoning (although the stoning itself is not regulated in the Koran). Are there any justice in the law of God which He said is the Justice itself?”

Mirza’s final post before closing his account

And this is the final Facebook status he posted, seemingly while in police custody, before his account was deactivated:

“Asalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu. This is my last status before I permanently deactivate my facebook account. I am all right. This is for my facebook friends who have often discussed my statuses, especially Muslims. Both me and my family apologise if it has been deemed that I have insulted and hurt the feelings of Muslims and also people of other faiths.

Personally I do not think it was my last status about the Israeli/Palestine conflict which has triggered the misunderstanding. Thank you, my facebook friends, you have made our discussions most enjoyable. May you stay healthy and prosper. Before I finally end allow me to quote M. Gandhi: “The greatest victory is by attacking without violence”. Wasalaam.”

Law lecturer Mirza Alfath arrested in Indonesia for criticizing Sharia Law

4 thoughts on “Law lecturer Mirza Alfath arrested in Indonesia for criticizing Sharia Law

  1. I think you got it wrong. Mirza indeed criticized Sharia Law but that’s not what made him arrested. He arrested because he support Israel attack to Palestinian and called Moslem Aceh who support Palestenian as “Arab Camel”. The chronology before the mob there is a letter in Serambi Indonesia called “Droe Keu Droe” who ask police to arrest him because his written about Israel-Palestinian in Facebook. It published in the morning before the mob happened.

  2. If you know nothing about what happened, please don’t make any comment. Mirza has insult God and Prophet by saying if there is God in Islam why God didn’t call me “hey za: what going on hot” and he was against academic ethics by invite his student to follow his movement. Where is the truth? Where is the liar? The journalism should have good attitude

  3. Michael Nugent , This is insane and ridiculous statement from the person knowingly domestic problems of others. my advice to you should come over and ask the residents of Aceh she criticized sharia Islam or insulting Allah and Islam itself, you proposed that law repealed insult a very funny thing that our country, you just take care of your country already chaotic it and do not take care of our country. I think my language so you understand, thank you, this misguided statement I quote him:

    1. Mirzanovic Alfathenev said: I do not know, what are your thoughts represent Islam? If so, sorry, yes? Islam religion is in my eyes the most selfish and most disgusting in this world, even though I know there are thousands understanding of Islam is …

    2. Mirzanovic Alfathenev said: No amount of evidence that the Quran from Allah, and no evidence that the Lord God, but belief and faith. If you believe God’s human creation, and reason also God’s grace, you should not dichotomize the book you say that with human rights as a human product.

    3. Mirzanovic Alfathenev, there are thousands of God’s professed people. If the mother believes God is God, the mother who proved to me. Since I do not ever see you, so talk to God, let alone God say hi za, I am the Lord thy God.

  4. It is my view that religion is a fundamental right of every human being and regulated in the constitution. But be aware that there is the religious right that needs to be maintained by the religious Other, that is a thought and action that could lead to turmoil and animosity among religious believers, contempt, abuse and desecration of a religion can not be justified morally or law.

    The law should explicitly address the incident being repeated in the future. Any form of fraud and an insult to the religion well done openly by taking the (affected) or performed in social networking media to update the status on facebook which is believed to hurt the feelings of Muslims, of course, this can lead to anger for Muslims.

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