Indonesian police have arrested two women following a viral video showing one of them stepping on the Quran, an act that has sparked widespread public outrage across the Muslim-majority nation.
The suspects were apprehended in Banten province this week and according to Banten police spokesman Maruli Ahiles Hutapea, both women now face up to five years in prison if found guilty under the country’s strict blasphemy laws.
The incident occurred last Wednesday at a beauty salon in Lebak, approximately 140 kilometers from the capital city of Jakarta. It reportedly began when the salon owner accused a guest of stealing her personal belongings.
When the guest denied the allegation, the owner insisted she prove her innocence by swearing an oath while stepping on the holy book.
The owner filmed the act and the footage subsequently spread rapidly across social media platforms, leading to the police intervention.
“The person who stepped on the Quran, and the person who asked her to swear an oath, have both admitted what they did. Police have summoned them, and they have now been named as suspects,” Maruli told AFP.
As the country with the world’s largest Muslim population and home to over 240 million adherents. Indonesia maintains laws that prohibit any statement or action deemed offensive to its six official religions.
While authorities argue these laws are necessary to preserve religious harmony, rights groups have long criticized them, claiming they are frequently misused to target individuals or minorities.
Recent high-profile cases include the 2017 imprisonment of former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and a 2024 sentence handed to a stand-up comedian for a joke involving the name ‘Muhammad.’ – AFP
