Anti-Ahok protest ‘alumni’ promise demo tomorrow to ‘defend clerics’ like fugitive Rizieq Shihab

Muslims at a protest in November calling for the arrest of Jakarta’s Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who stood accused of insulting the Koran. Photo: Reuters/Darren Whiteside
Muslims at a protest in November calling for the arrest of Jakarta’s Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who stood accused of insulting the Koran. Photo: Reuters/Darren Whiteside

Jakarta saw several major protests against former governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in the run-up to the first round of elections in February, including the largest one on December 12, labeled by its organizers “Aksi Bela Islam (Action to Defend Islam) 212”. Tomorrow, the self-proclaimed “alumni” of that protest say they will hold another demonstration.

Instead of protesting to defend Islam against Ahok yet again, the so-called Alumni Presidium 212 (‘Presidium’ presumably being the fanciest sounding word they could think of) will this time defend ulemas (Islamic clerics) including anti-Ahok figurehead and Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) founder Rizieq Shihab

(Rizieq, of course, won’t be in attendance since he’s still in Saudi Arabia hiding from Indonesian authorities after they named him a suspect in a high-profile, highly embarrassing pornography case).

Labeling tomorrow’s protest “Aksi Bela Ulama 96”, the Presidium declared the protest would be centered around the iconic Istiqlal Mosque and start after Friday prayers and would also include a breakfasting event.

However, the police have said that they have not issued a permit to allow the protest and said it was forbidden from taking place.

“Yes (it’s forbidden), why do they need to do this? Just have Koranic study sessions and prayers. We hope the situation remains orderly and the people can be prosperous,” Iriawan told reporters earlier today as quoted by Detik.

However, the chairman of the Presidium, Ustaz Ansufri Idrus Sambo, said the event would still be held because it was their constitutional right.

“This is not something that can be prohibited, it is constitutional. We gather, we defend the ulema. People that want to demonstrate are allowed. We want to defend the ulema and prevent framing,” Ansufri responded, specifically referring to FPI leader Rizieq’s pornography case as an example of the kind of police criminalization of that they would be protesting.

Ansufri went on to say that Rizieq’s case went against reason and demanded the police reveal their evidence in a transparent way so the public could see it was not true.

The organizers of the 212 rally claimed that about 7 million people joined the protest (credible sources put that number at closer to 200,000 people). How many of those ‘alumni’ do you think will show up to defend their pornography-suspect-fugitive-figurehead tomorrow?




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