TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A poll conducted by Alvara Research Center on Indonesia’s diversity shows the Islamic Defender Fronts (FPI) was ranked third among the most popular Muslim organizations in Indonesia, behind the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.

“Some 69.3 percent of respondents voted for NU, Muhammadiyah garnered 14.5 percent, and FPI got 9 percent,” Alvara Research Center Hasanuddin Ali said on Monday, January 30, 2017.

On the list of the most recognized Muslim organizations, NU sits atop with 97.0 percent, followed by Muhammadiyah with 93.4 percent, FPI with 68.8 percent, Lembaga Dakwah Islamiah (LDII) with 35.5 percent, Persis with 19.0 percent, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) with 13.5 percent and Front Umat Islam (FUI) with 9.8 percent.

The poll was conducted at the turn of the year by face-to-face interview with 1,626 respondents aged 17-65. It used multistage random sampling design with a margin of error of 2.47 percent.

Hasan revealed other findings showing that 95 percent Indonesian Muslims view that religion has a key role in their daily lives. “Most of Indonesian Muslims are religious,” said Hasan, who released the poll results at NU Headquarters in Jakarta.

The poll also shows that 41.8 percent of respondents said they always performed the obligatory daily prayers, some 22 percent said the same, adding that they sometimes performed communal prayers. Only 0.9 percent of respondents said they did not perform the obligatory daily prayers.

NU Central Executive Board chairman Said Aqil Siradj said that FPI’s popularity among respondents reflects their lack of understanding of Islam.

ADITYA BUDIMAN