Indonesian arrested for not believing in god

IANS

Jakarta, 23 Jan 2012: A 30-year-old Indonesian civil servant has been arrested on charges of blasphemy after he created a Facebook page that said he did not believe in god.

The man, identified as Alexander, created the Facebook fan page titled "Ateis Minang" (Minang Atheist), which was "liked" by 1,238 Facebook users, the Jakarta Post reported.

Alexander, who acknowledges Islam as his religion on his identity card, also declared he did not believe in angels, devils, heaven and hell as well as other "myths".

He faces a maximum sentence of five years in jail if found guilty.

Police chief Chairul Azi from West Java’s Dharmasraya region said the man triggered unrest among local residents.

A number of residents came to his office and attacked him before he was taken to a police station. He is now in police custody.

On the fan page, Alexander said he was an atheist from Padang in West Sumatra, which is a Muslim stronghold.

"He said he realised what he said and was prepared to lose his job to defend his beliefs," the police official said.

Indonesia recognises six official religions -- Islam, Christian Protestants and Catholics, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.