Petition Denying Rizieq Shihab Citizenship Emerges

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Following the pros and cons regarding the extension of organization permit for the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), another online petition was made at Change.org. The new petition contains demands to revoke Rizieq Shihab’s Indonesian citizenship. Rizieq is the leader of the FPI and is currently resides in Saudi Arabia following his appointment as the suspect of a pornography case, which investigation has been dismissed.

The petition was directed to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and three of his ministers: Domestic Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo; Law and Human Rights Minister Yasona Laoly; and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto. The petition relates Rizieq as the mastermind behind the post-election provocation attempts.

"If we keep yelling 'dismiss FPI', I think it is not enough, because Rizieq Shihab will establish a new organization under a different name, but with similar behaviour,” part of the petition stated.

The petition was made by an account named '7inta Putih' on May 17, 2019, and managed to gain 68,720 support in just hours after it was created. One of the supporters was Ahmad Al-haqir, who wrote: "If [Rizieq] continues to provoke, he should live in Indonesia anymore…"

Another supporter who goes by the name Henry Purnomo, wrote: "I signed this petition because I love Indonesia with its Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. The beauty of inter-religious harmony…"

Previously, there were four petitions related to FPI's organizational permit. Two petitions showed their rejection while the other two showed their support.

TEMPO.CO