In a widely criticised viral TikTok video, influencer Lina Mukherjee, who said Tasmiyah —an Arabic phrase that Muslims say ahead of any undertaking big or small — before eating pork, was sentenced to two years in prison and slapped with a hefty fine by an Indonesian court.
2. Wanita berusia 33 tahun dari Samarinda, Kalimantan Timur itu bernama Lina Lutfiawati ataupun lebih dikenali sebagai Lina Mukherjee.
Dia mengakui berasa seram sejuk mencuba kulit babi garing buat kali pertama walaupun pernah beberapa kali menjamah dagingnya sebelum ini. pic.twitter.com/o2gWxLTC1N
— FWB et cætera (@BMVFM) April 4, 2023
At a court on Tuesday in Palembang, South Sumatra, Lina Mukherjee, 33, was adjudged guilty of “spreading information intended to incite hatred against religious individuals and specific groups.”
The legal action against Mukherjee was taken after a local complained about her in March for the viral video in which she said the Arabic phrase Bismillah (in the name of Allah) before eating crispy pork skin.
Pork is forbidden under Islam, which is the dominant religion in Indonesia.
Mukherjee, who identifies as a Muslim, was criticised for her activities by conservative organisations, including the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s top Muslim clerical authority, which ruled that the video was blasphemous.
She was also fined 250 million rupiah ($16,200) for which her jail term would be extended by three months if it was not paid, AFP reported.
This is the latest in a string of blasphemy cases in the country.
