Ahok criticised on social media by Muslims over planned marriage

Supporters of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama celebrating his release from prison last Thursday. Mr Basuki is being accused of making the Muslim woman he plans to marry commit apostasy.
Supporters of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama celebrating his release from prison last Thursday. Mr Basuki is being accused of making the Muslim woman he plans to marry commit apostasy. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who was released from prison just last week after serving a two-year sentence for blaspheming Islam, is now being attacked by critics over another hot-button issue.

The Chinese-Christian politician is being criticised on social media by Muslims, who say he is making the Muslim woman he plans to marry commit apostasy.

Other Muslims, however, have defended Mr Basuki, arguing that no one should meddle with his personal life, and that everyone has the right to follow any religion.

Mr Basuki, 52, popularly known as Ahok, has said he plans to remarry. The bride-to-be - who comes from a Javanese Muslim family - is Ms Puput Nastiti Devi, 21, who used to be a policewoman and aide to Mr Basuki's former wife.

Mr Basuki battled corruption and improved healthcare when he was governor of Indonesia's capital city between 2014 and 2017.

Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, does not recognise marriage between a man and woman from different religions. In many cases, one converts to the other's religion, or they travel to another country to get married.

The brouhaha surrounding Mr Basuki's planned marriage started not long after a video showing Ms Puput and himself singing at a service led by a Christian pastor went viral. The thanksgiving service was held last Thursday, when Mr Basuki was freed from prison, and attended by family and close friends.

News portal Kumparan.com reported that the couple's pre-marriage documentation identified Ms Puput as a Christian. Another site, vivanews.com, reported that the couple would tie the knot in a Christian wedding.

Mr Basuki divorced his former wife Veronica Tan last year, after more than 20 years of marriage.

The divorce came a year after a Jakarta court sentenced him in May 2017 to two years' jail, after finding him guilty of insulting Islam - a verdict widely seen as being caused by political pressure from conservative Muslim groups.

Neither Mr Basuki nor Ms Puput has spoken about the alleged conversion.

Commenting on reports that Mr Basuki is marrying a Muslim woman, Islam-based United Development Party politician Andi Soedirman said Muslims would have even less sympathy for Mr Basuki if he went ahead with the plan to marry her. But he added that Ms Puput has the legal right to convert.

The issue has divided opinion on social media. Twitter user David Ridwan, in a post, said: "Ahok is initiating very dangerous and controversial debates again. This looks like Ahok is taking revenge, by way of making a Muslim woman commit apostasy."

Another Twitter user, Mr Jeffery Coumbour, said: "Ahok, I am very disappointed... You should marry a woman of your own religion."

Others defended Mr Basuki. Indonesian artist Sudjiwo Tedjo, who has a large Twitter following, said: "I am not a fan of Ahok but I am OK with a would-be bride of Ahok or anybody converting before marriage."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 29, 2019, with the headline Ahok criticised on social media by Muslims over planned marriage. Subscribe