Presidential hopeful Ganjar Pranowo recently raised the specter of identity politics ahead of next year’s election after appearing in a video of the adzan (call to prayer) broadcast on two major television channels.

Television broadcasters commonly interrupt their usual TV programs during Islamic prayer times to play a video of the adzan. While these video clips normally feature scenes of Muslims praying in mosques, a recent video clip broadcast by TV channels MNC and RCTI primarily featured Ganjar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) presumptive presidential nominee, praying in a mosque. The short video in question called Muslims to maghrib (dusk prayer).

Both MNC and RCTI are channels owned by media mogul-turned politician Hary Tanoesoedibjo, whose Perindo Party has decided to throw its weight behind Ganjar’s presidential run.

The video featuring Ganjar has taken social media platforms by storm, spawning a hashtag on X, formerly known as Twitter, of #politikidentitas (identity politics).

The Indonesian concept of identity politics is synonymous with using religion to mobilize voter support for political parties and their candidates.

Several netizens have accused Ganjar and the PDI-P of using Islam for their own electoral gains, while others have called on the government and election authorities to take stern action against both Ganjar and Hary.

The Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which is backing opposition figurehead Anies Baswedan in the February election, said that Ganjar’s video clip was evidence that the PDI-P had stooped to using identity politics, according to various news reports.

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