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Does firebrand cleric have a place in Indonesian politics?
Following Ahok’s ouster, Rizieq has become known as an icon for economically weak and oppressed urban Muslims.
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Thousands of anti-Ahok Muslims participate in a protest on Jl. Merdeka Timur in Jakarta on Oct. 14, 2016. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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illboards depicting the self-exiled leader of the Islam Defender Front (FPI), Rizieq Shihab, have been dotting the streets of Jakarta. They were erected by his supporters in response to a rally in July in the capital city, in which people burned an image of him.
To some extent, the billboards are sending a message that the firebrand preacher’s clout remains intact, especially among hardline Muslims and adversaries of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Among the resolute and bold statements written on the billboards are “Supporters are ready to fight in defense of religion [Islam], religious preachers and the state” and “One poster is burned down, thousands more will emerge.”
The endeavor by Rizieq’s supporters also aimed to shore up his popularity among Islamists as they search for a viable candidate to represent them in the 2024 presidential election. This can be clearly seen from the way Rizieq’s image is presented on every billboard. His large image fills up almost the entire billboard.
Promoting Rizieq as an alternative presidential or vice-presidential candidate is timely for Islamists, who have lost a patron and strong presidential candidate in Prabowo Subianto. After losing to Jokowi for the second time in a row last year, Prabowo accepted his rival’s offer to join the government coalition, to the dismay of Islamists. Prabowo’s “act of betrayal” has parted him from Islamists, including the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the 212 Alumni Brotherhood.
Anies Baswedan seems to be a promising candidate for the Islamists. As the governor of Jakarta, the political and economic Mecca of Indonesia, Anies has unrivalled access to the media. Anies also has outstanding Islamic credentials. As a student, he was active in the politically wired Islamic Student Association (HMI) and a scholar. He was a former rector of Paramadina University in Jakarta, a progressive Islamic institution.
Recent surveys show that he has been performing quite well. In a survey released in February, he was even touted as the strongest contender against Prabowo in the 2024 presidential election.
However, unlike Rizieq, Anies is neither an ulema nor a massbased politician. Hence, in this sense Rizieq has received a certain level of popular support to contest the election as an alternative representative of Islamists. Rizieq has enjoyed growing popularity because of his pivotal role in a mass movement that resulted in the downfall of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, a former governor of Jakarta who is of Chinese descent and a Christian.
