Fitri, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara – The ubiquitous prayers broadcast from mosques nationwide during Ramadan usually fade into the background for those not inclined to join in them. Until one day they don't.

An American expatriate living in Lombok for 15 years apparently reached the end of his rope on Aug. 22, when police say he barged into a late-night prayer session with his shoes on, unplugged a microphone and may have even hit one of the worshippers.

Police and witnesses said he was lucky to escape with his life as enraged worshippers chased him, then ransacked his house. Luke Gregory Lloyd, 64, escaped a beating but is being held by police on suspicion of blasphemy and violating his visa, the deputy chief of the Central Lombok Police, Comr. Lalu Mahsun, said on Monday.

"This man really angered residents of Kuta village in Pujut, Central Lombok," Mahsun said. "On the night of August 22 he stormed into a musholla [prayer facility] and berated locals who were performing the Tadarus," the traditional reading of the Koran that goes late into the night following special 9 p.m. Ramadan prayers.

"He entered with his shoes on and then unplugged the microphone used by locals to recite the Koran," Mahsun said. "We believe he even hit one of the worshippers because, according to him, they had interrupted his sleep."

Mahsun said the local religious affairs office would need to decide whether Lloyd had committed blasphemy, which is illegal. If officially named a blasphemy suspect, he will face further questioning.

Meanwhile, police are holding Lloyd under guard at a local hotel while they also confer with immigration officials. Mahsun said Lloyd's visa expired in April 2006. They declined to say why he was being held at a hotel instead of a police holding cell. Lloyd has a history of disrupting local prayer services, Mahsun said, but this was his most extreme act.

Nasruddin, a resident of Kuta village, said he had lost patience after Lloyd's latest outburst, which he said had been deeply insulting to residents.

Worshippers chased after Lloyd, Nasruddin said, but police intervened and took the American into custody before he was injured. Nasruddin said the villagers decided to ransack Lloyd's house instead. They broke windows, destroyed furniture and demolished a wall.

"He should consider himself lucky that we decided not to beat him, because we didn't want to do anything stupid, but some people were unable to control their anger and decided to damage Lloyd's house," he said.

After more than 15 years tolerating Lloyd, who bought land and built a house in the village, Nasruddin said his neighbors could no longer stand him. "We hope the police will give him the proper punishment for insulting our religion and not just let him walk away because he is a foreigner," he said.

Lloyd reportedly travels back to the United States to extend his residence permit, but has not done so for some four years. The immigration office in Mataram could not be reached when the Jakarta Globe tried to confirm his immigration status.