Indonesian Atheist Attacked, Arrested

An Indonesian man was attacked and arrested for “blasphemy” after he posted on Facebook that “God does not exist,” police confirmed Friday. Alexander Aan, 31, a civil servant, was beaten by a mob on his way home from work and then taken into custody. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim democracy, allows other religions, but atheism is illegal. Police said Aan used the social networking site to spread beliefs that violated the law, and police also claimed that Aan lied on a job application, where he claimed he is a Muslim.