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Acting Governor Ahok to propose disbanding FPI
Jakarta Post - November 11, 2014
Thousands of FPI members returned to City Hall in Central Jakarta on Monday to protest the planned inauguration of Ahok as governor.
Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, said the FPI's protest was offensive and against the 1945 Constitution, adding that he would file an official letter with the Law and Human Rights Ministry in a bid to disband the hard-line organization.
"The FPI is protesting against me because I'm a Christian. That's against the Constitution," Ahok told reporters at City Hall on Monday.
Ahok said he had attended an Islamic school from elementary until senior high school and learned that Islam followed the value of rahmatan lil alamin (grace to all people) – meaning that it did not discriminate against others, including those of different religions. He added that the FPI's actions of intolerance were embarrassing Islam and the Islamic community.
"They are embarrassing their own religion. The organization does not deserve to exist. I have written a recommendation letter and will send it to the [minister] tomorrow [Tuesday] to ban the FPI, because its actions are against the Constitution," Ahok said.
Ahok is among very few government officials who have dared to confront the hard-line organization, with even police generals tending to avoid such confrontations.
Thousands of protesters from several Islamic organizations, including the FPI, who claimed to represent the majority of Jakarta's residents, staged a demonstration in front of City Hall and yelled insults at Ahok, such as "Ahok is the devil's spawn!" and "Arrogant Ahok must be ousted!"
A number of demonstrators, including FPI chairman Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, were received by Abraham "Lulung" Lunggana and Muhammad Taufik, two City Council deputy speakers from the United Development Party (PPP) and the Gerindra Party.
During the meeting, Lulung and Taufik expressed their support for the demonstration and its demand that the government not swear in Ahok as the new governor.
"We agree that Ahok must not be sworn in as governor. Ahok has a bad reputation, not just in the eyes of city councilors but also the Jakarta public. I'm glad that all Jakartans also reject Ahok. He is the source of all problems," Lulung said when he joined the protest.
The FPI has demonstrated several times at City Hall and the City Council building to protest against Ahok being sworn in.
During their protest early last month at the City Council, the FPI members threw rocks at the police and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers who were guarding the building. About a dozen police officers were injured and more than 10 FPI members were arrested.
Meanwhile, the National Police declined to recommend disbanding the hard-line organization because they said they did not have enough authority to assess such organizations.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Ronny F. Sompie stressed that it was the authority of the Home Ministry and the Law and Human Rights Ministry to recognize or disband mass organizations.
"The Home Ministry is tasked with supervising mass organizations, while the Law and Human Rights Ministry devises the regulations [...] The National Police have no authority to disband [an organization]. The ministries should not wait for our recommendation, if they want, they can ask for the data right away," he said.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/11/acting-governor-ahok-propose-disbanding-fpi.html.
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