T

he Islam Defenders Front (FPI) filed a police report on Wednesday against acting governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama after he submitted official letters to the home and law and human rights ministries recommending that the notorious hard-line organization be disbanded.

FPI lawyer Sugito Atmo Pawiro said the organization filed a report with the Jakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta against Ahok for defamation and improper conduct according to articles 310 and 335 of the Criminal Code.

'€œAhok abused his authority by sending that recommendation letter to the ministries. He'€™s the only one who seems to have a problem with the FPI just because the group does not agree with him being sworn in as governor,'€ he said while showing reporters media clippings of Ahok'€™s statements on the FPI.

Articles 310 and 335 carry maximum prison sentences of nine months and one year, respectively.

On Tuesday, Ahok sent a recommendation letter after relentless protests over several weeks by the FPI against his upcoming inauguration. The acting governor complained that the FPI staged protests against him because he was a Christian and as such were against the Constitution.

He added that the FPI'€™s actions of intolerance were an affront to Islam and the Muslim community.

One of the FPI'€™s most violent protest against Ahok happened early last month. More than a dozen police officers were injured after FPI members threw rocks and manure at them. The police then arrested more than 20 FPI members, including senior members Novel Bamu'€™min and Shahabudin Anggawi, for property damage and provocation.

Sugito explained that Ahok'€™s bias against the FPI was apparent, especially in regard to the most recent protest against him, which was held on Monday. Although the protest was organized by the Jakarta Community Movement (GMJ), Ahok still decided to pin the blame on the FPI, who only made up a small part of the protestors, Sugito claimed.

Ahok played down the hard-line group'€™s filing of a police against him.

'€œIt is up to them. I don'€™t care. I just want to work,'€ he said.

Ahok said he would not file a counter report against the FPI as he was too busy. He added that he would not interfere with the home minister'€™s decision regarding his proposal to disband the group.

'€œThe important thing is I have done my job,'€ he said.

Even if his recommendation does not result in the FPI'€™s disbandment, Ahok said he did not think his effort would be wasted.

'€œThe malignancy of the group is an open secret,'€ he said.