While the region watches the unfolding humanitarian disaster caused by hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims attempting to flee from Myanmar due to an alleged purge by the Myanmar military, some in Muslim-majority Indonesia are using the hot-button Rohingya issue as a way to earn popular support, including failed 2014 presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.
The former military general spoke at the “Aksi Bela Rohingya 169” (Action in Defense of Rohingya 16/9) event that took place at the National Monument on Saturday and was organized by hardline Islamic groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). Prabowo spoke about the importance of expressing solidarity with their Rohingya brothers during their struggle against oppression.
However, during his speech Prabowo referred back to remarks made at the event by FPI secretary-general Sobri Lubis, who said that FPI members needed to be given weapons by the police and military so that they could fight to defend the Rohingya in Myanmar (the group claims to have hundreds of members signed up for jihad in Myanmar to fight and, if necessary, die there).
“We strengthen ourselves with calm. I am a former general, but we must always be cool, calm. Use your heads, use your brains. So I am here to ask you not to speak of weapons so quickly. I implore you, my friends from FPI,” Prabowo said as quoted by Warta Kota.
Prabowo said that oppressed Muslims should be defended but said they need to think carefully about how to gain peace.
“We need show Islam that is calm and intelligent. If they oppress Muslims, we must show that we are the ones with the power, giving peace. Islam guarantees peace,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo and his Gerindra Party supported Jakarta governor-elect Anies Baswedan in the Jakarta Governor’s race and he praised FPI leader Rizieq Shihab for “saving Indonesia’s democracy” for his role in bringing down formed Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. Many have speculated that Prabowo will challenge President Joko Widodo once again in the 2019 presidential election.
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