TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Djarot reminds supporters about unity in diversity
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
In full spirit – Jakartan gubernatorial candidate pair Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and Djarot Saiful Hidayat salute supporters who packed their campaign event, the Gue 2 musical concert, at the former driving range in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 4. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
J
akartan deputy governor candidate Djarot Saiful Hidayat reminded his supporters on Saturday they should uphold the principle of unity in diversity to avoid provocations and intimidation and to ensure that the city's gubernatorial election, scheduled for Feb.15, would run peacefully.
“Whoever you are, we’re all brothers and sisters. Don’t ask what their religions are, where they come from, or their ethnicity, but ask them what they have done for this country. We all have the same rights and obligations. Let’s show that unity and diversity exist in Jakarta,” Djarot said during a mass campaign event he and incumbent Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama attended on Saturday.
Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, is undergoing a trial on charges of blasphemy against Islam because of a speech he gave in Thousand Islands last year in which he cited a Quranic verse. Anger over the speech led to massive rallies launched by followers of Islamic organizations, which forced the National Police to prosecute Ahok.
(Read also: Ahok to hold another mass campaign before voting day)
Since the Ahok case started, several reports of cases involving either blasphemy or defamation of state symbols have been filed with the police.
“We should respect each other. We’ll show ‘unity in diversity’ is not only a slogan,” Djarot said on the stage.
He also called on all supporters to vote on Feb. 15 and secure all polling stations across the city to prevent cheating.
“When I see your eyes and faces that are full of spirit, I’m sure that we won’t be afraid to make a change for Jakarta,” Djarot said. (ebf)
