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Rizieq is my old friend: Wiranto
Jakarta Post - February 9, 2017
Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto welcomed Rizieq and the members of National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) – the group behind two large-scale rallies against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama last year – at his official residence in South Jakarta.
"These are my old friends, especially Rizieq whom I have known since well before 2000. We had fought together as we shared the same concerns with our country's condition before the reform era," Wiranto explained during a press conference on Thursday.
The minister, who served as both defense minister and military commander during Indonesia's transition in 1998 to 1999, told the journalists that the GNPF-MUI and FPI shared the same commitment of preserving the country's unity.
The GNPF-MUI and FPI have been in the spotlight for being the loudest advocates pushing for blasphemy charges against Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent who currently is seeking re-election in the Feb. 15 Jakarta gubernatorial election.
The General Elections Commission has declared Feb. 12 to 14 a cooling-off period before voting day, but some conservative Muslim groups intend to rally to remind Muslims of Verse 51 of the Surah Al-Maidah in the Quran, which prohibits Muslims from voting for a non-Muslim. (dan)
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/02/09/rizieq-is-my-old-friend-wiranto.html.
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