If we were Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, we’d be tired of having to respond to protests by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) week in, week out. But we’re not our badass governor, who slammed the most recent protests today in true, albeit somewhat blasphemous, Ahok style.
It wasn’t the constant religious discrimination or the fact that the FPI hung a giant effigy doll of Ahok during the protests at Hotel Indonesia Roundabout today, that really got to him. But Governor Ahok seemed particularly peeved about the way the FPI talked about electing their own counter governor.
Of course, Ahok had an appropriate response up his sleeve.
“It’s okay lah. It’s not fair [about the counter governor] lah. Why don’t they elect a counter God while they’re at it?” Ahok challenged the FPI when he spoke to reporters at the Jakarta City Hall today, as quoted by Merdeka.com.
Previously, FPI and other communities that formed the People of Jakarta Movement (GMJ), planned to elect GMJ leader Kyiai Fachrurozi Ishaq as their counter governor of Jakarta.
“We don’t know for sure [about the election of the counter governor]. We’ll see how things develop during the protests,” one protester, Maman, said at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout today.
The GMJ protesters claimed that they, along with all of Jakarta, rejected Ahok as the governor of Jakarta.
“Step down, step down, step down Ahok! Ahok step down this instant!” they chanted quite unimaginatively.
“We don’t care, as long as Ahok steps down!” the protesters continued chanting.
It’s nice to see our voices being represented by this small group of hard-liners.
May their counter God help them.
Read also
