Muslim Cleric Arrested For Allowing Women To Lead Prayers And Preach In Mosque

A Muslim cleric, Panji Gumilang has been arrested following his decision to permit women to lead prayers and preach alongside men in a mosque in Indonesia.

The 77-year-old cleric, who runs the Al-Zaytun boarding school in West Java’s Indramayu district, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of blasphemy and hate speech.

According to Djuhandhani Rahardjo, an Indonesian National Police official, Panji Gumilang is now detained at the Criminal Investigation Agency’s facility in Jakarta for 20 days.

“Investigators took legal action. Panji will be detained in the Criminal Investigation Agency’s detention facility for 20 days,” Djuhandhani Rahardjo said on Tuesday.

Authorities have not disclosed the specific content of Panji’s speech or actions that led to the blasphemy accusations, but they mentioned that the arrest was made based on public complaints.

In June, the Indonesian Islamic Clerical Council announced that it was investigating Al-Zaytun for “misguided religious practices,” according to CNN Indonesia.

If Panji Gumilang is found guilty of blasphemy and hate speech, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

Panji’s lawyer, Hendra Effendy, called for calm among his supporters, emphasizing that he is a public figure with millions of followers, and the situation needs careful handling.

“He is after all, a public figure with millions of supporters… With all this happening, we don’t know what could happen,” Effendy told CNN Indonesia.

KanyiDaily had also reported how over 125 people died after a deadly stampede at a game on Saturday in Indonesia between Arema FC and rivals Persebaya Surabaya.