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akartans'€™ sense of pluralism will be put to the test as the inauguration of a non-Muslim Jakarta governor draws near.  Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama is a Christian and also comes from a long-line of Chinese.

Even though Jakarta already had a non-Muslim governor, Henk Ngantung, from 1964-1965, Henk, who was a native of Sulawesi, did not face the same kind of rejection that Ahok is experiencing today.

Ahok'€™s ethnic and religious background has been deemed problematic and unacceptable for someone becoming governor of the city by some groups such as the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and especially by the hard-line Islamic group, the FPI (Islam Defenders Front).

The FPI has already stated that it will oppose Ahok and that it was ready to take over City Hall if Ahok was officially sworn-in as the new Jakarta governor, replacing Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, the new President.

The FPI states that Jakarta should be led by a Muslim governor, because Jakarta is a Muslim-majority city.

The FPI likes to point out that in Bali the majority of its residents are Hindu and the Bali governor is both Hindu and Balinese.

FPI'€™s rejection of Ahok and his upcoming inauguration as the new Jakarta governor became evident through their banners they displayed that said Ahok, being a Christian, would not be able to represent and incorporate the aspirations of Muslims living in Jakarta. One banner even read, '€œThe Muslims of Jakarta do not need Ahok because Ahok and the words coming out his mouth are full of trash'€.

Whether this brutal insult represents the opinion of the majority of Jakarta Muslims remains highly questionable, if not doubtful.

Only time will tell how this eventful drama of '€œthe FPI vs Ahok'€ will play out. However, if the Republic stands strong atop its ideals of democracy, pluralism and multi-culturalism, Ahok'€™s inauguration as the new Jakarta governor should proceed smoothly.

This would be solid proof that in Indonesia all citizens are granted the same rights and opportunities to be become high government officials, despite his or her religious or ethnic backgrounds.

This would mean that the notion of social justice is not merely a theory in this country, but is a principle put to practice in daily life. Our founding fathers believed in social justice and that is why they made it a part of our state ideology, Pancasila.

The fifth guiding principle regarding '€œsocial justice'€ could not be more direct and clear in its instruction, reading: '€œSocial justice for the whole people of Indonesia'€.

Therefore, the FPI'€™s rejection of Ahok'€™s upcoming inauguration as the new governor due to his religion is clearly the same as rejecting the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia itself and all the principles and values it stands for.

If the nation stands strong on the constitution then there should be no reason for anyone to deny the fact that in a few weeks time Jakarta will have a non-Muslim governor. Even though Ahok will not be the first non-Muslim governor of Jakarta, he is definitely the first one of his kind.

The city needs a governor that is not afraid to stand up to anyone, whether notorious thugs in the Tanah Abang market area or the corrupt officials and bureaucrats that have been stealing from Jakarta'€™s city budget for decades.

If Ahok continues to work hard in the manner that he has been doing for the last few years, then it'€™s likely that the majority of Jakartans will want him back as governor in 2017.

Good luck, Pak Ahok!

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The writer graduated from the faculty of social and political sciences, University of Indonesia.