Indonesia police to pursue blasphemy case against capital's Christian governor as tension simmers
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian police said on Wednesday they will investigate a blasphemy complaint by Muslim groups against the Christian governor of Jakarta, amid simmering religious and ethnic tension in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.
The decision to officially name Basuki Tjahaja Purnama a suspect means the case will definitely go to court and is likely to stoke concerns over rising hardline Islamic sentiment.
But dropping the case could have sparked further protests by some Muslims against Purnama and also against President Joko Widodo, who is seen as a key backer of the ethnic Chinese governor.
More than 100,000 Muslims marched against Purnama this month, urging voters not to re-elect him in February.
Hardliners had also demanded Purnama's arrest, but police decided against detention because investigators' opinion on the case was divided. He was barred from leaving the country.
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/indonesia-police-name-jakarta-governor-blasphemy-case-suspect-032910122.html
