Minister Zulkifli Hasan Reported to Police for Alleged Blasphemy

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Muslim Forum reported Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, also known as Zulhas, to the National Police for allegedly committing religious blasphemy in his recent speech. The forum chairman, Rahmat Imran, said the report was filed based on a viral video in which Zulhas said that supporters of presidential candidate number 2, Prabowo Subianto, stop saying ‘Amin’ during prayers.

“Zulkifli Hasan has harmed religious values by insulting or making a joke of prayer,” Rahmat said at the National Police Headquarters on Thursday, Dec. 21.

He assessed that the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) had also insulted Islam by saying that Prabowo supporters raised two fingers instead of one finger during the tashahhud when praying. “This is a very heinous religious blasphemy,” he said.

According to Rahmat, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared that Zulhas’ statement is a form of religious blasphemy. “Therefore, on Thursday, December 21, I, Rahmat Imran, officially report Zulkifli Hasan to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police. We have also brought some recorded evidence, both in softcopy and hardcopy, to be attached to the official report.

The FUIB also urged National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to immediately arrest Zulhas, saying his statement had a negative impact on society.

Zulhas made the statement during a national meeting of the Indonesian Market Traders Association (APPSI) in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday, Dec. 19. At the event, APPSI declared its support for the presidential ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming.

‘Amin’ has become a popular nickname for the pair of presidential candidates number one, Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar, since the onset of the election campaign.

Saleh Partaonan Daulay, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, clarified that many had misinterpreted Zulhas’ speech. “There is no intention whatsoever to insult any religion,” Saleh said in a written statement, on Wednesday, Dec. 20.

He lamented the politicization of religion after the video was circulated on the Internet, edited to make it appear that Zulkifli Hasan had committed religious blasphemy.

YUNI ROHMAWATI

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