Islam is the world's second largest religion.
In 2020, adherents of Islam was 1.9 billion people, or about 25% of the world's population. And in Indonesia, the archipelago country in Southeast Asia, most of its over 270 million people are Muslims.
While martyrs and apostates do exist, Saifudin Ibrahim is one of the most controversial of the latter.
Saifudin, who claimed himself as the "most-feared" apostate by preachers, addressed Indonesia's Minister of Religion to remove 300 verses from the Holy Book of Islam.
On a YouTube video he uploaded to his channel, he said that the verses teach violence and terrorism. He even accused islamic boarding schools in Indonesia as breeding grounds for terrorists.
In Indonesia, where most of its population is Islam, Islamophobia is highly disrespected and considered an offence.
Not only by its majority of its population, but also by its government officials.
Following the YouTube video that went viral, many called the police for his arrest.
But investigation suggests that Saifudin has left Indonesia.
"According to our investigation, Mr. Saifudin Ibrahim is now abroad," said Dedi Prasetyo, a spokesperson for the Indonesian National Police.
" [...] Saifudin Ibrahim is allegedly in the U.S.. This time, the police is coordinating with the FBI," the spokesperson added.
The police is also coordinating with the Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and also with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the alleged presence of Saifudin Ibrahim in the U.S.
Before Saifudin uploaded the video, he was already reported to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police on suspicion of blasphemy and hate speech.
Communion of churches in Indonesia has said that whatever Saifudin stated is his own personal opinion and none of the churches.
Following the backlash, Saifudin removed the controversial video, and uploaded a newer one, addressing it to Mahfud MD, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, saying that he is ready to be sentenced to death for "defending the truth."
Saifudin Ibrahim was born on October 26, 1965, in West Nusa Tenggara.
Before he became an Islamophobic, Saifudin was actually a Muslim.
On his YouTube account, Saifudin said that he was born in a Muslim family. His father was a teacher teaching Islam.
His uncle was a founder of Muhammadiyah di Bima, West Nusa Tenggara. And his parents-in-laws were well-known individuals in the Islamic community in Jepara, Central Java.
Saifudin graduated from Muhammadiyah University in Surakarta, and was once a teacher in an Islamic boarding school in Depok, West Java.
When he abandoned Islam and converted to Christianity, he changed his legal name to Abraham Ben Moses.
This costed his marriage, his house, and also other assets.
In 2017, Saifudin was jailed because of spreading hate speech and because of insulting Prophet Muhammad.
It was reported that Saifudin's apostasy from Islam was because he couldn't find peace in the religion.
