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Anti-blasphemy rally runs peacefully in C.Java
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Against blasphemy – Thousands of supporters of the Semarang Muslim Forum stage a peaceful rally to protest the alleged religious blasphemy committed by inactive Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in Semarang, Central Java, on Nov.4.
(JP/Suherdjoko)
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round 2,000 people under the banner of the Semarang Muslim Forum called on the Central Java Police to proceed with the religious blasphemy case implicating inactive Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama during a rally in Semarang on Friday.
Departing from Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Simpang Lima, Semarang, the Islamic forum’s sympathizers marched to the Central Java Police headquarters on Jl. Pahlawan. They brought posters emblazoned with a portrait of Ahok and a message, which read: “Bring Religious Blasphemy Perpetrator to Justice”. Another poster with a portrait of Ahok and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is written with a message “Put Ahok in Jail: Make Your Decision, Pro-Ahok Will be Punched”.
The rally’s coordinator Mursalin Ishak said the demonstrators did not have any intention to commit destructive acts. “We are fully supporting the National Police to legally process the alleged religious defamation committed by Ahok,” he said.
A Semarang-chapter Association of Islamic Students (HMI) member, who introduced himself as Hakim, said his organization would safeguard Ahok’s legal process. “We have also asked the police to carry out the legal process fairly,” he said.
Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Abiyoso Seno Aji said the parallel Nov.4 rally ran peacefully. “We prepared a lot number of personnel to secure the rally,” he said. (ebf)
