Pork gets TikToker jailed in Indonesia

2 years ago

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Lina Mukherjee via TikTok//Lilumukerji

A TikTok influencer was sentenced to two years in jail in Indonesia for posting a video where she said an Islamic phrase before eating pork.

Lina Mukherjee, 33, was found guilty of “inciting hatred” against religious individuals and groups, according to a BBC report.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world and has strict blasphemy laws. Eating pork is considered ‘haram’ or strictly forbidden in the Islamic faith.

Ms. Mukherjee, who identifies as a Muslim, reportedly posted the video in March where she is seen and heard uttering “Bismillah,” which translates to “in the name of God” in Arabic, before eating a crispy pork skin.

Lina Mukherjee sampling pork strips Screenshot from TikTok/lilumukerji

The lifestyle influencer, who has more than two million TikTok followers, was reportedly visiting the tourist hotspot Bali, which, unlike the rest of the country, is highly Hindu-populated.

Mukherjee, tried pork out of curiosity.

Lina Mukherjee reacting to her food [image via TikTok/Lilumukerji]

BBC further reported that the video, which racked up millions of views, was widely criticised, prompting Indonesians to report her to the authorities for “knowingly eating pork skin as a Muslim”.

She was eventually charged in May for disseminating hateful information, saying it was an act of hostility over ethnicity, religion, and race.

Speaking to the reporters following the verdict, she expressed shock at the severity of the punishment.

‘I know that I am wrong, but I did not expect this punishment,’ she told local news station MetroTV, as per the Daily Mail UK.

She also faces the prospect of a three-month extension to her jail term if she fails to pay a $16,245 fine, which she was slapped with in addition to the sentence.