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Jakarta Post

Ahok should stick to what he knows: Analyst

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, October 11, 2016

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Ahok should stick to what he knows: Analyst Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama gestures during an interview at City Hall in 2014. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

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olitical analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Siti Zuhro suggested that Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama stop commenting on matters outside of his area of knowledge following protests from several hard-line groups who accuse him of religious defamation.

"It's okay if Ahok loves to talk but he should limit himself to talking about his projects. He should not talk about things outside of his sphere [of expertise], especially because the campaign period has not yet begun," Siti told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

On Monday, hundreds of protesters staged a rally to condemn the governor’s reference to verse 51 of the al-Maidah, which was made during a working visit to Thousands Islands regency on Sept. 27. Some groups have also filed a report with the police, claiming that his use of the Quranic verse was religious defamation

“Protests from people and organizations in Jakarta should be a warning for Ahok. He could lose support from would-be Muslim voters," she said.

A petition on change.org was set up demanding that Ahok make a public apology and stop interpreting the Quran in his own way. As of Tuesday morning, the petition had garnered nearly 75,000 signatories. (dmr)

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