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Ahok supporters plans vigil night at Mbah Priok memorial site
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A pilgrim walks in front of a gate to the Mbah Priok memorial site in North Jakarta on March 8, 2010. (Kompas Images/Dhoni Setiawan)
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group of people called themselves Indonesian Citizens in Solidarity are planning to hold a vigil night at the Mbah Priok memorial site in North Jakarta on Saturday.
Nong Darol Mahmada, one of the initiators, said the vigil night would be called “Malam 1,000 Cahaya” (Night of 1,000 Lights) as an act of support for non-active Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who was recently sentenced to two years in prison after being declared guilty of blasphemy.
Nong said the sentence was a miscarriage of justice in Indonesia and through the vigil night they would express their hopes that Ahok could get justice. “Ahok’s struggle is like a symbol of pluralism that was torn apart,” she said as quoted by kompas.com.
She said the group decided to hold the event at the memorial site because it represented an aspect of Islam that applied a rahmatan lil’ alamin (blessing for the universe), adding that the vigil would be held just outside the memorial grave area.
Meanwhile, the management of the Mbah Priok Memorial Site Foundation said that they would ask the event organizers to make sure that the vigil was not a symbol of solidarity for Ahok, but instead just an act of togetherness.
“We will allow them to light up candles, but they need to be organized,” said Wahyu, the chairman of the foundation. (idb)
