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'Jakarta will be a religious city', Indonesians told at prayer rally
Asian Correspondent - February 11, 2017
One speaker, Maulana Kamal Yusof, told the crowd of men and women in white robes at the vast Istiqlal mosque that Jakarta "will be" led by a Muslim leader who submits to the will of Allah.
"On Feb 15, we are happy to vote for a Muslim leader. Jakarta will be a religious city," he said.
The call to action comes amid teeming tensions in Indonesia, as Jakarta's incumbent governor, the Christian and ethnic Chinese Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaha Purnama, continues to stand his ground on seeking re-election, despite his blasphemy charges.
Ahok faces two Muslim contenders for the poll next Wednesday – Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and former education minister Anies Baswedan.
Speakers at the mass prayer gathering urged voters to choose between one or the other, both of whom are Muslims.
Maulana also asked his audience to support Habib Rizieq, the head of hardline Muslim group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), who has been reported to the police for allegedly insulting the state ideology, Pancasila, and state symbols.
The allegations against Rizieq "go against justice," a senior official of the group has previously said.
According an Al Jazeera report, police estimate that the mass prayer was attended by over 70,000 people, with crowds overflowing from the mosque at the heart of the capital into the surrounding streets.
The international broadcaster's journalist Step Vaessen in a report from Jakarta said Ahok's two contenders were also in attendance, and that participants seemed to be ignoring a previous warning by police not to turn the gathering into something political.
"But people are carrying a lot political slogans here at the rally," she reportedly said. "This election is not about Jakarta; it has become a national topic. It's about religion and it says a lot [about] Indonesia's... future."
Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population but recognises six religions and is home to hundreds of ethnic groups and adherents of traditional beliefs.
Saturday is the last day before a 'quiet period' in which candidates and their supporters are barred from canvassing for votes.
Ahok, the region's first Chinese-Christian governor in 50 years, came under fire in September last year after comments he made to supporters were edited out of context and went viral.
Specifically, Ahok had said that he was aware that some Muslims would not vote for him because they thought doing so would be against the Quran. His statement and mention of a Quranic verse was edited and uploaded without context, making it appear as though he was deliberately directing an insult at Muslims.
In a nation where underlying religious and ethnic tensions have been brewing for decades, the video unsurprisingly sparked large scale protests backed by hardline Islamist conservatives.
On Nov 4, over 150,000 took to the streets of Jakarta in a rally that put to test Indonesia's secular foundations. Despite Ahok's apology, emotions continued to run high, and the gathering led to rioters burning cars and looting shops. Another follow-up protest proved to be more peaceful, with participants engaging in prayer to call for tolerance and unity, despite teeming tensions.
Since then, Ahok has found himself in the extraordinary situation of campaigning for election while he is on trial for blasphemy, making weekly court appearances to defend himself against the charges.
[Additional reporting by Reuters.]
Source: https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/02/jakarta-will-religious-city-indonesians-told-prayer-rally/.
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