Following the death of Suharto, Tempo Magazine had published an article spread in tribute to his excellent rule as president. However, the cover of the magazine had outraged christians in Jakarta as the portrait of Suharto and his children mimic the last supper of Jesus Christ by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Dozens of christian organizations and individuals flocked the magazines office as soon as the February publication was released last year. Some may argue that the magazine cover was in no way insulting the Christians, it was a mere expression of the awe of the nation for all that the former president has done for the country. However the act of mimicking the portrait is seen as an act of blasphemy by many individuals. This is no surprise as Shriver (1997, p. 369) explains that "readers try to form an immediate representation of the meaning from the visual display". Therefore the direct representation of the cover for Christians would have to be their religion because it is part of their identity.
A protester displays a copy of Indonesian news weekly, Tempo, depicting Suharto and his children in a composition based on Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in Jakarta.
According to Haynes (Michael, 2007) what exactly is considered blasphemy can vary between religious groups and people. Therefore it can be seen that the act of Tempo magazine publishing a sketch of Suharto mimicking the last supper may not have been an act of blasphemy directed towards the Christians in Indonesia.
References
1. Michael.M., 2007, Freedom of Religion Confronts Journalism, Viewed 5th November 2009,
http://www.bc.edu/centers/boisi/publicevents/browse_events_by_date/s07/blasphemy/blasphemyrecap.html
2. Schriver, KA., 1997, The interplay of words and pictures, Wiley Computer Pub, New York.
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