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House urged to take action against police's alleged bias
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Defending Islam -- Hundreds of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members stage a rally in front of the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Jan. 16.
(Antara/Reno Esnir)
T
he Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has called on lawmakers to push the National Police to investigate two of its high-ranking officers over alleged partiality in handling blasphemy cases involving the group’s members.
FPI patron Rizieq Shihab, better known as Habib Rizieq, has reported West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan to the police’s Internal Affairs Division (Propam) for allegedly provoking clashes between FPI members and followers of other organizations.
“We want them to help push the police to enforce the law professionally. All individuals, members of the National Police, who defame religion must be legally processed,” Rizieq told House of Representatives members, on Tuesday.
Rizieq reported Anton and Iriawan to Propam on Monday. Anton was accused of being the man behind the clash between FPI members and followers of the mass organization Gerakan Masyarakat Bawah Indonesia (Indonesian General Society Movement, or GMBI), which erupted when Rizieq underwent questioning at the West Java Police headquarters in Bandung last Thursday.
Anton admitted that he was the GMBI’s patron, a position the FPI said had led to his one-sidedness in handling the clash.
(Read also: FPI protests ‘unfairness’ by West Java Police chief)
Meanwhile, Iriawan was accused of provoking police officers to attack protesters during the massive rally held by several Islamic organizations, including the FPI, on Nov.4, 2016.
Rizieq claimed he had video recordings as evidence of the attack.
“We are sure that [National Police chief] Gen. Tito Karnavian has a strong commitment to law enforcement. However, he will find it difficult to enforce the law if individuals standing behind him do not uphold the essence of law enforcement itself.” (ebf)
