Aan Appeals Decision
You might remember Alexander Aan from my post back in January. A government worker and atheist from Jakarta. A place where it is legal to be the former but not the latter. He was sentenced to 30 months in jail and the high court already said the sentence stands. Alexander and his attorney, Roni Saputra, filed paperwork on October 2nd to be heard by their Supreme Court saying the high court did not prove that Alexander spread his atheism around facebook which caused a riot (where Aan was savagely beaten for being atheist). Saputra instead says it was the two witnesses for the prosecution that spread that information and incited the riot.

Hopefully the Supreme Court will overturn Aan’s conviction and lay some groundwork for repealing this pathetic bit of discrimination against atheists.

I wish you the best, Alexander.

No Picture = No License
Mimi Yahjah Emanuel and her daughter, Sunrise Eliza Kayah Celeste Emmanuel made a stink back in 2009 after they changed their name (and their religion, I’m inferring) and wanted to update their drivers licences to have their new names. Only snag was the ladies did not want their photograph taken – somehow claiming religious freedom and that the Bible’s second commandment tells them not to make graven images of themselves. When the department of licencing did not allow a photo-less ID card, the women took the issue up with the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commission but the case was referred to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT). The QCAT just handed down their decision to Mimi and Sunrise last week. They were again told they were required to have their photo on the licence for a myriad of reasons.

In the decision, the Tribunal said photo ID plays a “de facto identity role in the community”. They went on to say,

Due to this broader use of the driver licence, the government has a social responsibility to ensure it is secure and resistant to fraud and tampering. Fraudulent activity based on false identities is a national issue that has been estimated to cost Australians more than $1 billion per annum. The department’s guidelines are designed to assist in reducing this problem.

These issues have nothing to do with religious freedom, but the safety of the community. These ladies had their pictures on their cards before. Time to do it again… or don’t get stopped by the police… or drive through any intersection that has a traffic camera… or walk through a mall that has a bunch of teenagers with camera phones…

~Wesley

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