TEMPO.CO, Bekasi - Chairman of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Syihab was appointed as the 'Lifetime FPI Supreme Leader' following a decision made during the National Meeting (Munas) at Asrama Haji, Bekasi, West Java last Thursday.
Head of the FPI Munas Committee, Murhali Barda said the decision to appoint Rizieq as the Supreme Leader was made during a plenary session presided over by KH Awit Mashuri on Friday. "All members wanted Rizieq to become the FPI Supreme Leader," said Murhali to Tempo yesterday.
Murhali said Rizieq has what it takes to become FPI Supreme Leader as it is the highest position within the organization and only certain influential people deserve it.
Murhali said that several factors have made Rizieq entitled to become the Supreme Leader, among other his experience in leading FPI for fifteen years. He also said Rizieq has successfully developed FPI, which currently has members spread all over the country. "He also has a charisma," Murhali said. "The name of the Chairman is to be announced by the end of the plenary session (last night)," he said.
The 3rd FPI Munas has been held from 22-24 August 2013 with the peak of the event being the convoy to the National Monument in Jakarta. The convoy was also to commemorate FPI's 15th Anniversary today. As many as 2,000 FPI members from 17 provinces attended the Munas.
During his 15-year chairmanship in FPI, Rizieq has laid the foundation of the organization. During the opening of the Munas on Thursday, Rizieq said the orientation of FPI struggle, among others that FPI does not reject the pillars of the country such as Pancasila (state ideology) and the 1945 Constitution as long as they are not against Islamic teachings, adding it does not reject the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) principle.
Rizieq said FPI serves the people and defends the religion and is not the state's enemy. He said that it is also not TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces)’s enemy, nor the Police's or the state officials' enemy. "FPI is the enemy of injustice, corruption, prostitution, hard liquor, drugs and evil," he said.
Rizieq called on the Indonesian people to respect one another and reminded that FPI does not reject pluralism because all religion has their own faiths and truth. "God willing, FPI movement will continue until the end of FPI," Rizieq stated.
Even to defend the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), Rizieq said that FPI is always ready to stand in the front line to fight separatism movements. "We're ready to dispatch volunteers to fight separatists," he said.
HAMLUDDIN