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70,000 liters of water prepared for ablution at Muslim rally
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Liquid support: A group of people gather in front of Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) water trucks at the National Monument (Monas) square in Central Jakarta early on Friday. The PMI is preparing an additional 70,000 liters of water to help participants of a large-scale gathering later in the day perform the wudhlu (ablution) ritual before joining Friday prayers at the iconic square. (Photo courtesy of @TMCPoldaMetro/File)
T
he Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has deployed 14 water trucks to the National Monument (Monas) square in Central Jakarta to accommodate a mass gathering by Muslim protesters to demand the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama over alleged blasphemy.
The trucks will supply an additional 70,000 liters of water to allow protesters to perform the wudhu (ablution) ritual before joining the gathering, during which they will attend sermons, Friday prayers, and dzikir (mass chants to praise God).
“The PMI have readied 150 plastic containers and more than 70,000 liters of water for ablution during the mass dzikir event in Monas,” the Jakarta Police’s traffic management unit reported on its Twitter account @TMCPoldaMetro on Friday morning.
As many as 200,000 demonstrators are expected to gather at Monas for the event, scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This will be a follow-up to an anti-Ahok rally on Nov. 4, when protesters, mostly from Muslim groups, swarmed onto Jakarta streets to demand Ahok's prosecution.
Last month, the National Police named Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, a suspect of blasphemy over a comment on a Quranic verse Ahok had made during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September.
On Thursday, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said it had submitted Ahok’s case dossier to the North Jakarta District Court, paving the way for the trial in the high-profile case to begin. (hwa)
