45 Christians held for blasphemy
Up to 45 Christians have been arrested in the East Javanese province of Malang for allegedly making a videotape in which the Koran is treated as the source of all evil in Indonesia.
Indonesia's main Muslim body, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), said the suspects had been charged with blasphemy against Islam.
'The police have previously confirmed 41 arrested, but the latest information I have is that four more have been added in the last few hours,' said Muhammad Nidzom Hidayatullah, executive secretary of MUI East Java. 'The police are still looking for 56 more people. Now, they are after those that planned the video.
'We are also collaborating with the police in Bali and West Nusa Tenggara province, as we believe that those missing could hail from there.'
The people charged are members of the Lembaga Pelayanan Mahasiswa Indonesia (LPMI), a mainly student group active in disaster relief, which describes itself as 'an interdenominational Christian organisation to help Christians in their growth'.
The police believe the recording was made during a gathering of LPMI members from East Java, Bali and West Nusa Tenggara province, held at Batu's Asida Hotel in December. It only emerged, however, in the past few weeks.
The one-hour tape shows a group of LPMI members praying while dressed in Muslim-like attire. Christian songs play in the background, and a priest is seen pointing a finger at a copy of the Koran, while saying that it is the 'source of all evil in Indonesia, from violence to terrorism'. An LPMI spokesman said the video was an initiative of the Malang branch, and does not reflect LPMI's values.
