Feel Free to Laugh before Laughter Is Banned
The authorities’ response to humor is a reflection of how they care for democracy. The exaggerated action of the police against Ismail Ahmad who uploaded a joke by Gus Dur about honest policemen should not recur.
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A painting of Indonesia’s fourth president, K.H. Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, decorates the wall of a coffee shop on 30 May 2020 in Karang Tengah district, Tangerang City, Banten.
The authorities’ response to humor is a reflection of how they care for democracy. Therefore, the exaggerated action of the police against Ismail Ahmad who uploaded a joke once told by Gus Dur about honest policemen should not recur.
The humorous words from Indonesia’s fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) about honest police officers wasn’t considered funny by Sula Islands Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Muhammad Irvan and his ranks. Ismail Ahmad, 41, was thus summoned to the police office and asked to apologize for what he had uploaded on Facebook.