An Indonesian man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for blasphemy towards the Hindu faith, after he was filmed kicking offerings on Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java.
The Lumajang District Court handed the sentence to Hadfana Firdaus on Tuesday. If he manages to pay a fine of IDR10 million (US$690), Hadfana will only have to serve 8 months behind bars.
While Hadfana accepted the sentence, public prosecutors are considering filing an appeal as they had demanded 7 months’ imprisonment and a fine of IDR50 million (US$3,450) as Hadfana’s punishment.
Semeru erupted in early December 2021, killing at least 57 people and displaced thousands from nearby villages.
Soon after the eruption, a video of Hadfana went viral, depicting the convicted blasphemer tossing and kicking Hindu offering baskets that were placed on the mountain. According to local tradition, the offerings, known as sesajen, help appease spirits and ward off misfortune from the active volcano
“These incurred Allah’s wrath. It’s seldom realized that these [traditions] provoke Allah’s wrath, so Allah doomed this place,” Hadfana said to the camera.
Hindu organizations condemned Hadfana’s actions and called for his arrest. Police eventually arrested him in January 2022.
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