In Indonesia, a woman has been sentenced to a two-year prison term and a hefty fine for reciting an Islamic prayer before consuming pork in a viral TikTok video, which received widespread criticism in the Muslim-majority country.
Lina Mukherjee, 33, was convicted of “disseminating information intended to incite hatred against religious individuals and specific groups” at a court proceeding in Palembang, South Sumatra, as stated in the verdict.
The case arose when a resident reported Mukherjee in March for a video that garnered millions of views, wherein she recited a Muslim prayer, translating to “in the name of God,” before consuming crispy pork skin, a food forbidden in Islam, the predominant religion in Indonesia.
Mukherjee identifies as a Muslim, and her actions were strongly condemned by conservative groups, including the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s leading Muslim clerical body, which deemed the video blasphemous.
She was additionally fined 250 million rupiah ($16,200), and her jail term would be extended by three months if the fine was not paid.
This incident is the latest among several blasphemy cases in the country, reflecting the ongoing debate and misuse of laws that affect religious minorities. Notably, Jakarta’s former governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), a Christian, faced imprisonment for alleged blasphemy in 2017 over remarks made during a re-election campaign that were viewed as insulting to Islam.