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NU cleric blames Ahok for unnecessary polemic by quoting Quran
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Muslim cleric Miftahul Akhyar (second left) speaks to journalists after giving testimony as a witness in the hearing of the incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama on Feb 21. (Antara/POOL/M Agung Rajasa/via JP)
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Muslim cleric testified on Tuesday before the court at a trial regarding the blasphemy case of the incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, acknowledging that the controversy over the interpretation of Surah Al Maidah 51 on Muslims not voting for non-Muslim leaders would only occur in Jakarta.
Miftachul Akhyar, a leader of the supervisory board of the biggest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said the 101 regions that held simultaneous elections on February 15 had no problem voting for Muslim or non-Muslim leaders. This was only a problem in Jakarta.
"His [Ahok's] statement quoting the verse has resulted in an unnecessary polemic," Akhyar said before the judges.
(Read also: MUI chairman testifies at Ahok trial, admits did not watch video)
Akhyar added that the election climate in the city should have been conducive if only Ahok had not made his comment about the Quranic verse during his working visit to Thousand Islands last year.
Earlier on Tuesday, Akhyar said that the governor had committed blasphemy while claiming that Surah Al Maidah 51 could be used as a tool to deceive residents to not vote for the non-Muslim leaders.
"There's an indication to mislead people in which [Ahok] asked believers to not believe in the [Quranic] verse," he said. (dan)
