TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Muhammadiyah activists support Ahok-Djarot
Change Size
United Development Party faction chief Djan Faridz (from left), Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Ahok-Djarot campaign chief Prasetio Edi Marsudi, speak to journalists.
(Antara/Reno Esnir)
A
group claiming to comprise activists from Muhammadiyah, the country’s second-largest Muslim organization, has set up Relawan Matahari (Volunteers of the Sun) Jakarta and declared their support for the candidacy of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and the deputy governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, in the gubernatorial election next year.
“Relawan Matahari Jakarta is a group of Muhammadiyah activists from various professions and ages who’ve decided to fight for Ahok-Djarot to continue improving the city,” the group’s chairman Supriadi Djae said on Sunday as reported by kompas.com.
Muhammadiyah uses the sun in its logo.
Earlier several activists of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim organization, established Relawan Nusantara (Volunteers of the Archipelago) and declared their support for Ahok-Djarot.
(Read also:PPP faction declares support for Ahok-Djarot)
Supriadi claimed Ahok had made changes and improvements in the city, such as better public transportation, pedestrian access and free education for poor residents.
However, he expressed his concern about the threat to the country’s diversity by the abuse of religious sentiment.
“We reject the politicization of religion. We should focus on track records and the programs offered by the candidates,” Supriadi said.
On Nov. 4, hundreds of Muslims from across the country staged a rally in front of the State Palace demanding that Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, be prosecuted for alleged blasphemy. The rally ended in violence with two police vehicles being set on fire. (jun)
