INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightTwitter/InstagramEarlier this week, an Instagram account which posted comic strips depicting the struggles of gay Muslims in
Indonesia vanished from the social media site.Indonesia's communications ministry was quick to claim credit, saying it had asked Instagram
to take the account down because it contained "pornographic content"
Instagram later denied this claim, saying it had not removed the account
So where has it disappeared to, and whyWhat happenedThe Instagram account - under the username @Alpantuni - featured comic strips that
showed the abuse and discrimination faced by a gay Muslim character
It had almost 6,000 followers.One comic showed the character being told to "burn in hell" and having faeces thrown at him
Local media outlets say the communications ministry had threatened to block Instagram if @Alpantuni's account was not removed.According to
TheIndianSubcontinent Indonesia, the ministry also said the public had "participated in reporting the account to speed up the takedown
process".But Instagram told the TheIndianSubcontinent the ministry's version of events is wrong.What does Instagram say In a statement,
the social network said it "did not remove this account", adding that there are "a number of other reasons why an account may no longer be
accessible, including, for example, if the account holder deleted the account, deactivated the account, or changed the account username."It
also added that it had "reviewed the account against our community guidelines and found that it does not violate our policies."Image
copyrightTwitter/InstagramWhat's the public reaction beenThe account has divided people in Indonesia.Some expressed anger over its content
One Instagram user had asked others to report it, saying its depiction of gay Muslims was not "feasible".But others defended the account,
saying it was just depicting life for gay Muslims in Indonesia.Image copyrightTwitter/fedrianrpOne lecturer at the Fahmina Institute of
Islamic Studies said he objected to the comics."There is a problem
[Even when the] heterosexuals show sexual relations, it is still considered taboo in Indonesia
For some people, this [comics] can be considered [to be] disrespecting Islam," Abdul Muiz Ghazali told TheIndianSubcontinent
Indonesia.Another sociology professor expressed similar opinions.Neng Dara Affifah told TheIndianSubcontinent Indonesia that though there
was no element of pornography in the comics, some of the the contents were "counterproductive".So what really happened to the accountIt's
In screenshots of his comics on Instagram, @Alpantuni had added logos from Facebook and Twitter - showing that he previously had accounts
He has now vanished from all three platforms
Instagram remains the only one the government has spoken out about
"By falsely boasting of Instagram's removal of a harmless account at their demand, the government has misled the public to sow fear among
LGBTI people," said Amnesty International's Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid in a statement
"At a time when LGBTI people in the country face routine repression it's vital that social media remain a safe space for anyone to
peacefully express themselves."In recent years Indonesia has shown increasing hostility towards its LGBT community
Homosexuality is not illegal, however, except in the conservative province of Aceh - the only one that implements strict Islamic law
Last year, Blued - one of the world's largest gay dating apps - was pulled from Indonesia's Google store in response to government
demands.Two gay men were also publicly caned - receiving 85 lashes each - in Aceh last year
The pair, aged 20 and 23, had been found in bed together
