Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Islamic Brotherhood Front (FPI) held a declaration activity which then triggered crowd in West Bandung Regency (KBB) on Sunday (5/9).
The activity was recorded in a video documentation and spread on social media. In the video circulating, dozens of people can be seen gathering in a room and voicing the declaration of the religious community organization (Ormas) using loudspeakers guided by someone.
“Declaration of the West Java-wide Islamic Brotherhood Front,” said someone using a loudspeaker as heard in the video footage quoted on Thursday (9/9).
In the recording, it is heard that the declaration was made as a form of establishing the organization as a new vehicle for the struggle of Muslims in West Java.
The guide claims that there are 27 administrators who are members of the Regional Leadership Council (DPW), Branch Leadership Council (DPC) and FPI Regional Leadership Council (DPD) who are members of the declaration. And, he said, a number of clerics, habibs and activists in West Java also participated.
“To defend the religion of the nation and the unitary state of the republic of Indonesia in the name of the West Java Islamic Brotherhood Front with symbols and provisions that will be announced later,” he added.
This activity was confirmed by a member of the Advocacy Team for the Islamic Brotherhood Front who is also the former Deputy General Secretary (Wasekum) of FPI, Aziz Yanuar. He explained that these activities were not only carried out in West Bandung Regency.
However, Aziz has not provided further details regarding the areas that have declared the establishment of the new FPI.
“It was a consolidation event and finally there was a declaration. Same in other areas,” said Aziz when confirmed, Thursday (9/9).
According to him, this activity is a common thing to do as many other groups do. He reminded that these activities are protected by law.
“Just like a kopdar event club motorbike or club car. So it’s an ordinary event to gather and talk about people’s problems, which are protected by law in a democracy,” he said.
Referring to the video footage circulating, dozens of compact people wearing white caps were seen crowding and close to each other without keeping their distance when making declarations.
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Rizieq’s Infographic Going Home Sparks a Crowd. (Photo: CNNIndonesia/Basith Subastian)- – |
They are also seen not wearing masks, which is one of the protocols during the current Covid-19 pandemic. After finishing reading the declaration, the people in the room then shouted takbir in unison.
Aziz admitted that he could not comment much on the implementation of the prokes in the declaration activity on the grounds that he was not present at the location.
However, he compared the crowd to a number of activities attended by President Joko Widodo which also caused crowds.
“It’s also a crowd, don’t keep your distance and don’t wear masks, bro. It’s not a problem either,” he said, attaching a link to news related to the President’s activities.
The Islamic Brotherhood Front is a new mass organization filled with a number of former high-ranking leaders of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). The group was previously disbanded by the Indonesian government at the end of December 2020.
The government has designated the FPI organization created by Rizieq Shihab as a prohibited organization.
It is known that a number of presidential visits triggered a crowd due to the distribution of basic food packages and T-shirts. The Palace claims this happened because of Jokowi’s charisma.
(mjo / arh)
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