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Controversial preacher Abdul Somad Batubara giving a sermon at an Islamic boarding school at Madura island, Indonesia, on May 22.

PHOTO: USTADZABDULSOMAD_OFFICIAL/ INSTAGRAM

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JAKARTA - Sitting before a Muslim congregation, controversial Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara made disparaging remarks about the Christian crucifix.
"There's an infidel djinn (spirit) in the crucifix," he said during a sermon at a mosque in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, courting laughter. The footage went viral on social media in August 2019, sparking massive public outcry.
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