TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono confirmed that his institution will process a report of religious blasphemy and hate speech allegations involving Islamic Defender Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab.
“We’re investigating [the case], have questioned witnesses comprising of IT experts, criminal law experts, and others. We will gather everything before presenting the case,” Argo confirmed on Wednesday, December 28, 2016.
In relation to the case presentation, Argo could not confirm whether it would be open for public or otherwise.
“We’ll see about that later,” he said.
Earlier, the Catholic Students Union (PMKRI) filed a police report on Monday, December 2016, against Rizieq for allegedly committing a religious blasphemy shown in a video footage that went viral on social media.
Based on the same video footage, the Student Peace Institute, on Tuesday, December 27, 2016, also filed a report against Rizieq for allegedly spreading hate speech that could disturb the state’s unity and religious tolerance in Indonesia.
“It’s a different report. It was the PMKRI [who filed the report] yesterday. We’re focusing on hate speech. He clearly insulted other religious. He said ‘If God bears a child, they who’s the midwife?’,” Doddy Abdallah with the Student Peace Institute said at the Jakarta Police yesterday.
FPI Jakarta secretary general Novel Bamukmin dismissed the allegation, as saying that Rizieq’s statement in the video footage was not a religious blasphemy. According to Novel, Rizieq was delivering the truth of Islam to Muslims. Novel also explained the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) edict that bans Muslims to extend Merry Christmas.
Novel also questioned the intention of an individual who uploaded the video and disseminated it to public.
INGE KLARA
