'We Are Not Afraid,' PDI-P Reacts to Fireband Cleric Habib Rizieq's Lawsuit Threat
Jakarta. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, said they are not worried by firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab's threat to report its chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri for criticizing Islam in a speech.
PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said Megawati in her speech had mapped out the challenges faced by the country to stay true to its state ideology Pancasila amid the emergence of other — more conservative and divisive — ideologies.
Megawati, according to Hasto, was offering her opinions on how to preserve the values of Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution and the Republic of Indonesia.
"She's the chairwoman of PDI-P and was Indonesia’s fifth president, it's normal for her to offer her opinion on current issues," Hasto said on Tuesday (17/01).
He said the PDI-P will not back away from facing off with Rizieq, saying that "Rizieq has done nothing but spreading hatred and trying to divide the nation."
PDI-P gears up for legal defense
Hasto said PDI-P will round up the best lawyers in the country to be its defense team if Rizieq goes through with his lawsuit against Megawati, the daughter of Indonesia's first president Soekarno.
According to the politician, FPI had crossed the line when they disbanded an event organized by PDI-P which was offering free health treatment for the public.
Hasto called on law enforcers to crack down on mass organization that take the law into their own hands.
"There's a limit to our patience. The message I want to convey to Rizieq is that we are not afraid. We're more than ready to face him if he continues to play the vigilante game," Hasto said.
"Rizieq’s accusation has no foundation," he added.
FPI, led by Rizieq, also took to the streets on Monday (16/01) to call for the removal of Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. M. Iriawan and West Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan for allegedly creating frictions among Muslims.
Meanwhile, Rizieq himself is facing a string of police reports accusing him of blasphemy, hate speech and defamation.
He was recently reported again to the Jakarta Police for a speech that went viral on social media in which he allegedly claimed that the new rupiah banknotes feature the communist hammer-and-sickle symbol.
Several watchdog organizations and experts have called on the National Police to fast-track the investigations against him.
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