Former Jokowi Critic Ali Ngabalin Advices Bahar bin Smith
6 December 2018 22:10 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential Staff Ali Mochtar Ngabalin said that he had the opportunity to talk to Bahar bin Smith, the controversial preacher recently made insulting comments about President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during a televised show in a national station earlier this week.
"I met Bahar yesterday and I told him; 'you're still too young Bahar, it's inappropriate for you as a descendant of the Prophet to issue a hateful, insulting statement'," said Ngabalin in Yogyakarta on Thursday, December 6, 2018.
Ngabalin further asserted that he is in a different mindset compared to Bahar in terms of preaching and believes that Islam is not spread through insults and cursing such as the known "Wali Songo" that introduced religion through culture, which he said, "made people feel peaceful and accepted the teachings."
"The Prophet Muhammad had a noble character, he was tasked by Allah to improve human's spirit," said Ngabalin, who once was an avid critic of Jokowi prior to entering the president's staff.
Ngabalin challenged anyone to show him historical proof that God's Prophet has ever prayed or wished any harm toward another human being. He was also baffled by Bahar bin Smith's followers who accepted the preacher's words without further questioning.
PRIBADI WICAKSONO (CONTRIBUTOR)