Moment Australian tourist allegedly SPITS in the face of an Imam in an Indonesian mosque – after blowing up about his 3am prayer call
- Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur allegedly spat on an Imam
- Mr McArthur has since been arrested while police investigate
An Aussie tourist has been arrested in Indonesia after allegedly spitting in the face of a Muslim prayer leader at a mosque just outside the nation’s capital.
Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, is accused of assaulting Imam M Basri Anwar, 24, at the al-Muhajir Mosque in the city of Bandung, 150kms south east of Jakarta, on Friday.
The Aussie is accused of confronting Imam Anwar at 3am after he’d allegedly become frustrated by the mosque broadcasting prayers from the Quran.
In CCTV footage Mr McArthur can be seen entering the holy building in a cap and dark shirt before approaching the Imam, leaning in and allegedly spitting on him.
In the video Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur entered the mosque and approached the Imam at around 3am on Friday
Mr McArthur then allegedly spits on the leader of prayer, who then fled
Indonesian news website Kumparan reported that Mr McArthur checked out of his Pringgodani Guest House room at 6am, three hours after the alleged assault, before being detained at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport that night.
Bandung police chief Kombes Budi Sartono told Kumparan that police saw the video after it had been widely circulated online and asked immigration to stop Mr McArthur at the airport.
‘We immediately ask immigration to stop him and cancel him from leaving the country,’ the police chief said.
‘We will co-ordinate with the Immigration and the Ministry of Religion to ascertain whether any actions have been violated or not.
‘He was picked up from Soetta [Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta] and is now here [in Bandung police office] for questioning.’
The Australian embassy has been notified to allow a representative to accompany Mr McArthur during the interrogation.
The Imam was in the pulpit holding his mobile phone close to a loudspeaker as it played recitations of the Koran.
‘He was the guest from the hotel located in front of the mosque,’ Imam Anwar told local media.
‘He came to the mosque, then he turn off the sound. He said something, but I don’t understand.’
Indonesian police arrested Mr McArthur at the airport Friday night and announced an investigation into the allegations
Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, (pictured) is accused of assaulting Imam M Basri Anwar, 24, at the al-Muhajir Mosque in the city of Bandung, 150kms south east of Jakarta
Mr McArthur later posted online after his arrest: ‘Stop crying all your racist tears.
‘I am a Muslim and this is just a racist threatening a bule [an Indonesian word which refers to foreigners] and laughing being a coward.’
Mr McArthur describes himself as a ‘government punching bag’ in his social media bio which has repeatedly tweeted at Australian politicians, including Tony Abbott.
He has also directed them at Julie Bishop, as well as Malcolm Turnbull, and Bill Shorten where he mainly discusses Thailand and human rights abuses.