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Confusion Surrounds Blasphemy Allegation
Cameron Bates & Fitri | September 18, 2010

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toby1kenoby
9:14pm Sep 19, 2010

@sinsim Are you sure this geezer has been in Indonesia for a long time? Surely one who has should know better than to tell them to turn the masjid speakers down.

This is a real warning for anyone thinking of buying property in good ol' Indo. All things legal there are a total murk bucket, especially concerning property ownership by foreigners. This, and other things I have heard about Lombok, has put me right off ever buying that retirement villa there.

Wong Edan
12:43am Sep 19, 2010

Does anybody know the Indonesian for hoodlum? No obvious answers please...

Valkyrie
6:29pm Sep 18, 2010

Will anything be done if other faiths are being blasphemed?

JJjohnson
2:27pm Sep 18, 2010

"He said that police allege Luke insulted Islam by saying, 'I will hire some hoodlums to tear down this mosque.'" But...

"The case file mentioned no threats to “tear down” the mosque.."

COME ON, police, get your story straight! At this rate, you will never be able to extort Luke for money.

sinsim
12:37pm Sep 18, 2010

When we stepped on this land of our host, we must respect their culture and living. Yes, the loud speaker is annoying, but when we live here, we know it is part of the deal. Furthermore, can you trust 100% of what Luke has said. For goodness man, he has lived here for so long, he would be able to communicate in reasonable Bahasa. But of course, I am against the violence followed by the incident and wish Luke all the best.

Jakarta. A friend of US citizen Greg Luke, who was arrested in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on charges of blaspheming Islam, said the entire incident stemmed from a “misunderstanding” caused by a language barrier.

Lalu Sungkul, who has been providing assistance since the American’s home in Kuta was destroyed by a mob on the night of Aug. 22, said prosecutors on Thursday returned the case file to police because they wanted to know more about Luke’s ability to speak Indonesian.

Lalu, who was born and raised in Kuta, said he had translated the case file for Luke and had disputed some of comments police allege the American made to villagers outside a mosque.

He said the incident started when Luke approached the mosque and tried to ask a group of about six men on the porch to turn down the speaker volume.

The American, who did not step foot in the mosque, was then pushed off the porch, landing on his back in the dirt, Lalu said.

He said that police allege it was at this point that Luke insulted Islam by saying, in fluent Indonesian, “I will hire some hoodlums to tear down this mosque.” But Lalu said Luke’s grasp of Indonesian was too poor for that.

Luke told the Jakarta Globe from his jail cell that he had only told the villagers that their mosque “needs to teach manners” as he attempted to escape on his motorcycle as he was pelted with stones.

Central Lombok Police, however, said the case file mentioned no threats to “tear down” the mosque, but centered on Luke’s alleged comment that “Muslims don’t have any manners.”