The so-called spiritual leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, Habib Rizieq, has seen his political fortunes crumble dramatically in the past few weeks. In November and December, he stood triumphantly as the figurehead leader of two massive protests demanding that Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama be imprisoned for alleged blasphemy. Now, Rizieq is in serious trouble with the law himself, having been reported to the police for numerous crimes ranging from spreading misinformation about the rupiah to insulting the state ideology of Pancasila to committing blasphemy against Christianity.
Through each police interrogation into his alleged crime, Rizieq has been escorted by hundreds and even thousands of FPI members who have decried what they describe as the criminalization of their leader. The day may come very soon that police will be required to actually arrest or detain Rizieq for his crimes, and when that day comes it seems likely that a clash between police and FPI members would be inevitable.
However, Jakarta Police Chief Inspector General Mochamad Iriawan does not appear to be phased by such a possibility. He said he was ready to take the FPI leader into custody should he be ordered to do so.
“If that is the way things go, we are ready to [arrest him],” Iriawan said Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.
Iriawan also denied that the thousands of FPI protesters who accompanied Rizieq when he was questioned at National Police Headquarters on Monday had any effect on their investigation whatsoever. He said that such mass demonstrations were unnecessary since true democracy does not allow the masses to affect the law.
Yes, we’re pretty sure he was actually referring to Indonesia when he said that.
