Muhammad Kace, who used to be an Islamic cleric in West Java, reportedly began criticizing Islam after he was baptized a Christian in 2014. (Photo: YouTube)
An Indonesian Christian YouTuber who was detained for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad claims he was brutally tortured by fellow prisoners.
Muhammad Kace, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity, has reported several of the prisoners, including high-ranking police officer Napoleon Bonaparte, a bribery convict.
Andi Rian Djadji, the national police's director of general crimes, said Bonaparte had confessed during questioning.
"He and several other perpetrators beat Kace. They also covered his face and body with human feces,” he said.
In an open letter on Sept. 19, Bonaparte claimed that his actions were motivated by his anger over Kace's video, which has not been removed from YouTube.
"Anyone can insult me, but not against my Allah, the Quran, the Prophet and my Islamic faith," he said. "Therefore, I swear I will take any measured action against anyone who dares to do so."
The torture is a new case which should be looked at separately from the blasphemy case that Kace faced
Anwar Abbas, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council, said this case sends a message that the issue of blasphemy is a sensitive matter.
"No matter how high a person's position is and no matter how great people's knowledge of the law is, if their religion and beliefs are disturbed, then what will speak apart from ratios is also their feelings of faith," he said in a statement, referring to Bonaparte, who is a two-star general and former head of the international division of the national police.
Meanwhile, Azas Tigor Nainggolan, a lawyer and coordinator of the Indonesian bishops' Advocacy and Human Rights Forum, said that torture could not be justified.
"The torture is a new case which should be looked at separately from the blasphemy case that Kace faced," he told UCA News. "The blasphemy case that he was accused of cannot justify his torture."
Kace has been detained since August after being reported by Muslim groups for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad by claiming the prophet was “surrounded by devils and wilds.”
In a video, he said: "Muhammad is unknown by God and is only known by his followers because he is surrounded by devils."
Police said he had uploaded at least 400 videos on YouTube insulting Islam.
Kace, who used to be an Islamic cleric in West Java, reportedly began criticizing Islam after he was baptized a Christian in 2014.
While a Muslim, he taught at an Islamic boarding school and went on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia three times.
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