Indonesia's largest Islamic bodies have criticized the imprisonment of a Chinese woman named Meiliana in Sumatra, after she complained about the loudness of the "adzan," or call to prayer, from a mosque in her district.
The woman's comments were made back in July 2016, they provoked an anti-Chinese riot in which several Buddhist temples were burned. Angry people raided and set on fire at least 14 Buddhist temples throughout Tanjung Balai, a port town on Sumatra.
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The country's constitution promises freedom of speech and religion, but religious minorities often become the target of blasphemy prosecutions that can lead to a five-year prison term. The majority of cases see guilty verdicts handed down by courts.
