Oct. 9, Online

Secretary for Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Jakarta Novel said that deputy governor-elect Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is a Christian, was not capable of leading several Islamic bodies, including Islamic Center or Alms and Donation Agency (Bazis).

The regulation stipulates that deputy governor would hold important positions in eight Islamic agencies in the capital, namely chief patron of Koran language and knowledge Institution (LBIQ), chief patron of Koran reading competition Institute (LPTQ), advisory council chairman of Alms and Donation Agency (Basiz), chief patron of Indonesian Mosque’s Library Board of Trustee (BPPMI), trustee board chairman of Islamic Propagation Coordination (KODI), chairman of the advisory board of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), chairman of the board of trustees Jakarta Islamic Center (JIC) and chairman of the advisory council for Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB).

FPI urged the Jakarta City Council to change the regulation immediately.

Your comments:

The FPI members are supposed to follow the law like everyone else. Not change it to their liking.

Sheldon Archer

How disgraceful for them to carry the nation flag while their actions are completely contradictory.

Reza

They are always complaining about something. What should they complain next?

Deddy K.

Surely Ahok will have an assistant to help him lead those institutions. He wouldn’t intervene with something he doesn’t know about.

Indra

Here we go again with religion. This country needs a change; obviously laws mean nothing to this organization.

How about the people who do not have a religion? Would they not be allowed to lead?

Nick

The solution is simple. Let go of the ex-officio jobs, let them take care of their own brethrens. Jokowi and Ahok have a more pressing agenda to do for the real residents of Jakarta, such as sanitation, traffic, housing for the poor and education quality.

Michelle A

If they really want to channel their aspirations, they should have decided to personally pay Jakarta’s coming deputy-governor a visit once he is in office, and courteously discuss a mutually beneficial solution for what they regard as a problem.

Immediately staging a protest, in such large numbers, carrying our national flag as well, actually shows that the FPI isn’t at all certain about what it is actually defending.

This makes them a laughing stock of all sane Indonesians and genuine Muslims.

Tami

Let Jokowi hold it. Don’t let it turn into a mass problem. Don’t forget “unity in diversity” is our ideology.

Ban Kneel

For once I agree with the FPI. Remove those bodies from the government. Let them be run and funded 100 percent by Muslims themselves.

Stop using taxpayers’ money for activities that only benefit one group in society.

When the bodies are independent (as clearly is the wish of the FPI, unless they only want public money but not public accountability) they will no longer be in danger of falling into the leadership of an unbeliever.

Samsudin Berlian

The FPI’s protest is reasonable. Moreover, religious matters are not part of local government authority; it is under ministry of religion.

If the Islamic bodies are religion agencies, then they must be under coordination of the ministerial office in Jakarta.

However if they declare themselves as mass organizations, then they have to accept whoever local government leader is, including Jokowi and Ahok.

Suri Adnyana

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