LeeAnneArt: Destruction of an Atheist

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Destruction of an Atheist - Alexander Aan

Alexander Aan a young Indonesian civil servant and atheist is now a criminal against the Indonesian state, gaoled for "disseminating information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility". Attacks on Aan (prior his arrest) by residents from the mainly Muslim province where he lived were proof of his causing unrest in the general population. The greater charges of religious blasphemy and attempting to convert others to atheism were dropped.
In gaol beaten and tortured he reportedly rediscovered Islam and in his court statement expressed his regret and "prayed for God's mercy".1

Dharmasraya Regent Adi Gunawan at the time of the arrest is reported to have told Aan "there was place in this country for his beliefs [atheism]" Regent Gunawan in addition assured that he had not found any other atheists who were employees of the civil service in his region. However he came to volunteer this information its meaning is fairly clear, he was concern to look for more atheists to charge.2 If Aan was going to receive significant support from within his own country this type of veiled threat would have quashed any chance of its emergence. His case is particularly tragic in that context alone, abandoned and at the mercy of an intolerant system within your own homeland.

Aan's unfortunate circumstance is to be a citizen of Islamic Indonesia which shows no tolerance for atheists as his example demonstrates and though it may claim otherwise is intolerant of other religions.3

In an earlier post I charge religions with misanthropy. The example of Aan is of a young man asking reasonable questions across social media, attempting to interact and create a discourse. For his questioning he is beaten and his enquiring mind and freedom of choice and ideas is destroyed by a religion which has control over the state.