Salon owner and customer arrested for ‘stepping on Quran’ in Indonesia

WorldPolitics
13 Apr 2026 • 8:51 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Salon owner and customer arrested for ‘stepping on Quran’ in Indonesia

  • Indonesian police have arrested two women in Banten province on blasphemy charges after a video purportedly showing one stepping on a Quran went viral online.
  • The incident, which occurred on 8 April in a salon, reportedly stemmed from a theft accusation where the salon owner demanded the guest swear her innocence by stepping on the holy book.
  • Both the woman who stepped on the Quran and the salon owner who recorded the act have admitted their involvement and been named as suspects.
  • If convicted under Indonesia's blasphemy law, which forbids statements offending officially recognised religions, the women could face up to five years in prison.
  • Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised Indonesia's controversial blasphemy law, citing previous high-profile cases such as the conviction of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

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