Firebrand Cleric Contained as Widodo Gets Tough

rizieq shihab’s return to indonesia from self-exile has triggered worries. for now, though, stern government action is giving president Joko Widodo the upper hand.

When firebrand Muslim cleric Muhammad rizieq shihab returned to indonesia in november after three years of self-exile in saudi Arabia, no one doubted that he would continue to defy and even mount a direct challenge to the government of president Joko Widodo. What surprised many, however, was the swift response from the security forces this time around. Within a month of his return, police killed six of rizieq’s supporters in an armed clash and named him a suspect for violating Covid-19 health rules by drawing large crowds. they have issued a warrant for his arrest and for five other leaders of the islamic defenders front (fpi), the militant group he chairs.

rizieq, now 55, has long thumbed his nose at norms and laws, earning his reputation as indonesia’s islamist enfant terrible by using the fpi to intimidate and harass any group or behavior he considered as anti-islam. He uses his sermons to fire up the sentiments of Muslims, who make up nearly 90 percent of the 270 million population.

Many fpi actions have bordered on the criminal, but with the exception of a few incidents, he and his fpi cohorts have avoided prosecution. police are reluctant to go after him, lest they be accused of being anti-islam. fpi’s targets over the years have included religious and racial minorities, the LGBTQ community and entertainment places that sell alcohol or remain open during the ramadan fasting month.

the pinnacle came in 2017, when rizieq led the campaign to foil the bid for re-election as Jakarta governor of Widodo ally Basuki tjahaja purnama, a Christian of Chinese indonesian ethnicity commonly known as Ahok. rizieq organized a massive protest in Jakarta in december 2016, the biggest the capital city had seen in nearly two decades, to tell voters not to return the non-muslim candidate. to keep up the momentum following this victory, he launched the 212 Movement, named after the dec. 2 date of the 2016 demonstration, comprising alumni of the participants. eventually, Ahok was imprisoned shortly after the election on blasphemy charges that many saw as politically motivated. His opponent, Anies Baswedan, a former Widodo ally, became governor of Jakarta and is poised to run for president in 2024.

the 2019 presidential election, however, was a reality check for rizieq’s power and influence. the 212 Movement rallied behind challenger prabowo subianto, who lost the election for a second time to Widodo. When prabowo decided to join Widodo’s cabinet as defense minister, the movement lost its key political icon and sponsor. fpi’s power and influence is growing, especially in populous West Java, but it pales in comparison to that of nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, the two largest Muslim organizations and both considered as bedrocks of moderate islam.

rizieq had fled to saudi Arabia in April 2017 when police began pursuing legal cases against him, including one for hate speech and another over a sex scandal case. He continued to give instructions to fpi from there. He returned on nov. 10 this year to a hero’s welcome with tens of thousands of supporters jamming the roads leading to the airport and effectively closing flights down for hours. He held three events that first week, with thousands in attendance, including a ceremony to mark the prophet Muhammad’s

birthday. He used these events to launch tirades against his detractors, including Widodo.

there is a long history of close ties between the fpi and elements of the national police and this time around officers facilitated his events, even re-directing traffic for his supporters. it was not until Muhammadiyah questioned the police’s double-standard in enforcing Covid-19 health protocols, even using force to close small traders early in the pandemic, that public opinion began to turn, not so much against rizieq but against the security forces.

palace insiders say Widodo summoned the chiefs of the national police and the indonesian Military to vent his anger. the next day, the chiefs of the Jakarta police and the West Java police lost their jobs and the Central Jakarta mayor also lost his. these were regarded as the people most responsible for allowing these gatherings to take place. the Jakarta Military Command deployed troops to take down banners welcoming rizieq home in strategic locations. this may have raised sinister laughs — how could soldiers trained to kill be doing something as mundane as this — but the message from Widodo is clear: He has the military option at his disposal.

the new police chiefs in Jakarta and West Java have also gotten tougher against fpi, lest they lose their jobs and careers like their predecessors. On dec. 9, police declared rizieq and five other fpi leaders as suspects for organizing mass gatherings. the offense carries up to six years in prison. police issued a ban on the six leaving the country and put out warrants for their arrest.

rizieq is staying in his residence-cum-fpi base in Central Jakarta, heavily guarded by loyal supporters who have been stopping anyone from getting near, including police officers delivering summonses and health officials requesting him to take Covid-19 tests. When he eventually took the Covid test, he fled the hospital before the results came out. no one but the hospital and rizieq knows whether he tested positive or negative.

the real challenge for police came on dec. 7, when officers and fpi members clashed on a toll road outside Jakarta. each gave its version of the incident. police said fpi members had opened fire and officers had to shoot back in self-defense. the

The new police chiefs in Jakarta and West Java have also gotten tougher against FPI, lest they lose their jobs and careers like their predecessors.

fpi said it has a strict ban on members carrying guns. What is clear is that six fpi members died. With growing public anger at these deaths, and not just from fpi supporters, it is hard for the government to reject calls for an independent inquiry. But if the police claim that the fpi fired first is proven true, it would signal a new development, as for the fpi to use firearms is unprecedented. if it is arming itself, this suggests a new fpi agenda or method. this may in turn call for an even tougher approach from the security forces.

for now, stern action by the government is giving Widodo the upper hand in dealing with rizieq.