BANGKOK – The hardline Islamic Defense Front was banned by the Indonesian government on Wednesday and ordered to cease all activities less than two months after its ardent leader, Rizieq Shihab, returned from self-imposed exile and vowed to lead a ‘moral revolution’ . ”
In a statement signed by top officials and the national police chief, the government said members of the group had had terrorist and criminal acts and that the activities organized by the group had disturbed public order.
Mr. Rizieq, 55, a clergyman who claims to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad, is accused of violating coronavirus protocols by holding thousands of people together. He turned himself in to police earlier this month and faces up to six years in prison. Days before his arrest, six of his bodyguards were shot dead by police in what, according to authorities, was self-defense. Mr. Rizieq remains in jail.
According to the order to dissolve the group, the government registration expired last year and is no longer a recognized organization. It is now forbidden to carry out activities and use its logo, a triangular symbol with a star in the middle and its name in Indonesian and Arabic letters.
The government said 29 members of the group had been convicted of committing terrorism but had not provided any details or evidence. It is said that 100 were convicted of other crimes.
“With this ban, it has no legal prestige,” said Mohammad Mahfud, managing director, Mohammad Mahfud, Indonesia’s minister, referring to the group.
A spokesman for the group, Roman Bamukmin, said members would not be deterred by the dissolution of the organization, commonly known by the Indonesian acronym FPI.
“They can dissolve the FPI, but they cannot dissolve our struggle to defend the country and religion,” he said. “If we want, we can declare a new Islamic mass organization this afternoon. If it is dissolved, we can constantly make a new one. Registered or not, we continue to exist. ”
The Islamic Defender Front was formed in the late 1990s when military rule ended. At the time, the army generals of the citizens created militia groups such as the FPI to help them retain power.
The group soon became known for enforcing the concept of Islamic law by vandalizing pubs, prosecuting rival sects and attacking gay and lesbian events. Over the years, it expanded its agenda to provide civilian rescue services and developed into a political and social movement, gaining thousands of followers who were attracted to the message of Mr. Rizieq.
“Given the group’s popularity and the widespread use of its symbols, the order will be difficult to enforce,” said Ian Wilson, a senior lecturer at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. since his early years. “Some will probably abandon it, but it could potentially radicalize others.”
Hours after the announcement, soldiers and police officers arrived at the group’s headquarters in Jakarta and displayed a large banner with the photo of Mr. Rizieq picked up.
The Saudi-trained Mr. Rizieq, who was the group’s co-founder and remained the most visible leader, has long attracted controversy. In 2017, he left Indonesia while facing a charge of pornography and accusations of an extramarital affair and living in a self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia.
When he returns to Jakarta in November, he is greeted by thousands of supporters and hosted several major events over the next few days. He later apologized for violating coronavirus restrictions, but it was not enough to keep him out of jail.
On his return to Indonesia, which is officially secular, Mr. Rizieq also posed a challenge to President Joko Widodo’s government, promising to push Indonesia toward a more conservative vision of Islam.
In his recent sermons, Mr. Rizieq mnr. Joko and his government are accused of leading the country into a crisis because the leaders were not moral. He claims that it is a moral person to follow the Islamic, or sharia.
He also argues that Indonesia should be united under a single God, and that since Muslims make up the vast majority of Indonesians, they should have the power to apply sharia law and the rules not only to Muslims but also to to put everyone there.
Another radical Islamic group, Hizbut Tahrir, was disbanded by the government in 2017 because it promoted a state based on sharia law rather than secular principles.
“The FPI is destructive, disruptive and intolerant,” said Jajang Jahroni, a lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University in Jakarta. “Perhaps dissolution will not be effective. If the members are still in trouble on the street, they should be arrested and taken to court. ”
Richard C. Paddock reports from Bangkok and Dera Menra Sijabat reports from Jakarta. Muktita Suhartono reported from Bangkok.