WATCH: Indonesian influencer Lina Mukherjee jailed for eating pork after saying Bismillah in viral TikTok video

Indonesia's top Muslim clerical authority ruled that Lina Mukherjee's video was blasphemous

By
Web Desk

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.

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.

Last year Indonesian police arrested six people on charges of blasphemy over a bar chain's free alcohol promotion for patrons named Mohammed.

Rights groups have long campaigned against the laws they say are frequently misused to target religious minorities.

Jakarta's ex-governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, was jailed for nearly two years on controversial blasphemy charges in 2017.

Purnama, a Christian, was jailed for comments he made on the campaign trail during a re-election bid that saw him accused of insulting Islam.