Fitri, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara – Two villagers on Monday told the Praya District Court in Central Lombok that American national Gregory Lloyd Luke, 64, deserved to remain behind bars for blaspheming Islam during Ramadan.

Prosecutor B Nurjanah confirmed that Luke could face up to five years in prison on charges of blasphemy, violent and unpleasant conduct and on using violence to interrupt or obstruct a publicly recognized religious meeting.

Witnesses Jasmani, 50, and Ahmad, 26, separately told the court that the defendant, also referred to as Amaq Greg, had conducted himself in a manner that wounded the feelings of Muslims at Kute Village in Pujut, Central Lombok.

Ahmad told the court that on Aug. 22, he saw Luke coming in on a motorcycle to their prayer hall, clearly very angry.

"He went up the staircase of our prayer hall and unplugged the speakers during an evening prayer session," Ahmad said. "I went up to him because I could see him striding toward Jasmani and scolding him."

"He said: 'You are devils! Always making noise!' I was holding him back from going further into the prayer hall, and he pushed me. So I hit his neck. He fell. It was at that time, that he said 'All you Muslims have no manners, no politeness. If I hear the call to prayer one more time, I will hire gangsters and burn down your prayer hall.'?"

Ahmad then told the court hearing that Luke's diatribe enraged him, and prompted him to pelt the American with a stone, following which he then ran home, fearing having actually hit the foreigner.

He said he did not see villagers chase after Luke and ransack his home, located some 300 meters from the prayer hall. The expatriate was then taken into custody by police, which may have saved him a beating.

Jasmani testified that at 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 22, the speakers of the prayer hall suddenly went dead during the prayer session.

"I saw [Luke] outside, arguing with a youth. It was Ahmad. They were pushing each other. So, I came outside and tried to see what I could do to stop this. I do not know whether or not Luke had unplugged the speakers. I did not see him. I also did not hear him saying anything that tarnished the name of Islam," he said.

Luke, through an interpreter, denied unplugging the speakers. "All I said was the speakers were too loud". "I am a Muslim, how can I insult Islam," the defendant said after the hearing.