Religion & Society

T HE blasphemy trial of the Governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, began on Tuesday of last week (News, 16 December). Prosecutors launched the event by accusing Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama of intentionally misinterpreting a Qur’anic verse during a speech on a working visit to Indonesia’s Thousand Islands region on 27 September.    The Governor, better known by his nickname “Ahok”, replied to the charges in tears, saying “I did not intend to misinterpret Surah Al Maidah 5:51 nor commit blasphemy nor insult Islamic scholars. I referred to certain politicians who had misused Surah Al Maidah 5:51 to avoid fair competition prior to upcoming regional elections.”    While world media outlets focus on this unfolding blasphemy trial in today’s Indonesia, the subtext to this event has deep roots in past history. W hen Indonesia attained its independence in the 1940s, the new nation was preoccupied with defining its identity. Indonesia is diverse in terms of its ethnic, ...

I was interviewed by staff of the CIU Zwemer Institute (USA) on Islamic History and the Crusades.  The interview is available in three parts, as follows: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

I was interviewed by the staff of the Zwemer Centre for Muslim Studies (USA) about the Qur'an.  The interview is available here .

For my interview of 7 December with Neil Johnson on the "Twenty20" program on Vision Radio , click here . If you cannot access it, or would like a copy in MP3 format, please email me.