Controversial Case: Indonesian Woman Faces Jail Time for TikTok Video Involving Muslim Prayer and Pork Tasting

Lina Lutfiawati, also known as Lina Mukherjee on social media, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term under Indonesia's blasphemy law. This conviction comes as a result of a video she posted on TikTok, in which she recited an Islamic prayer before consuming pork during her visit to the popular tourist destination of Bali. The trial took place on Tuesday at the Palembang district court on Sumatra island.

According to court documents, the 33-year-old was convicted of disseminating information with the intention of inciting hatred towards religious individuals and specific groups. Along with a two-year prison sentence, she was also fined $16,245 (250,000,000 Indonesian rupiah), which is a substantial amount in a country where the average yearly income is approximately $4,300. Failure to pay the fine could result in an additional three months of imprisonment, as stated by the court.

After the trial, Mukherjee expressed her shock at the sentence during a conversation with reporters outside the court on Tuesday. She admitted her wrongdoing and mentioned that she had not anticipated such a severe punishment. CNN affiliate, CNN Indonesia, reported her comments and added that there is a possibility of her filing an appeal.

Blasphemy cases on the rise

Indonesia is the worlds largest Muslim nation, where 231 million people, at least 93% of its adult population, identify as Muslim.

Religious conservatism in the country has been gaining momentum in recent times, and rights organizations have cautioned that blasphemy laws are being increasingly utilized as a tool against religious minorities and individuals accused of insulting Islam.

Panji Gumilang, the leader of the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School, is seen walking prior to an examination at the Indonesian Police Criminal Investigation Agency in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 1, 2023.

A cleric was apprehended for blasphemy charges in the world's largest Muslim-majority country for permitting women to preach. While the consumption of pork is strictly prohibited in Islam and considered taboo among a majority of Indonesian Muslims, it is commonly consumed by countless non-Muslims, including the Chinese community in the country as well as residents of the predominantly Hindu island of Bali.

Mukherjee, a Muslim identifying individual, has a substantial social media following of over 2 million.

Renowned for her lifestyle and food videos where she explores different culinary delights, she faced criticism for a TikTok video she posted in March. In the video, she was seen seated at a dining table, reciting the Islamic phrase "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah) before trying crispy pork skin.

Bismillah is a significant and widely used sacred phrase in Islam. It holds the utmost importance as the opening phrase in the Quran, and it is customary for Muslims to say it before meals. Additionally, Bismillah is often utilized as a general declaration.

In a video shared by Mukherjee, she can be seen sampling babi guling, a renowned street food from Bali. This dish consists of rice accompanied by pork that has been slowly roasted on a spit, resulting in delectable crackling. It is typically served with vegetables.

Speaking into the camera, she grimaces while attempting to eat a piece of pork crackling. The video gained immense popularity, but faced criticism from religious organizations, such as the Indonesian Ulema Council, the leading Muslim clerical body in the country, who denounced it as "blasphemous."

It also prompted a public complaint which sparked police investigations, which led to Mukherjee being prosecuted.

Protesters hurled rocks at riot police on September 24, 2019, during demonstrations held in Jakarta and other cities opposing the proposed revisions to Indonesia's criminal code laws. While the changes were subsequently diluted, they continue to stir controversy.

Image source: Andri Saputra/AFP/Getty Images

Indonesia's democracy is being put to the test by the ban on extramarital sex. CNN Indonesia frequently showcased images and footage of Mukherjee during the trial, capturing her tearful moments under tight security.

According to Andreas Harsono, an Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, although she has not committed any wrongdoing, it reflects negatively upon Indonesia, a country that claims to follow moderate Islamic practices, as it is gradually transforming into a radicalized Muslim nation. He further stated that the inclusion of six articles under the blasphemy chapter in the criminal code is a significant setback in safeguarding freedom of religion and belief in Indonesia. This decision goes against the global trend of either not implementing blasphemy laws or abolishing them completely.

In 2017, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, commonly known as Ahok, an ethnic Chinese Indonesian politician, faced one of Indonesia's prominent blasphemy cases. Ahok, who served as Jakarta's first non-Muslim governor in 50 years, sparked outrage among hard-line Muslims when he mentioned a verse from the Quran during his campaign for re-election in 2016. Despite publicly apologizing, he was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison.