Tensions Rise As Controversial Islamic Clerc Returns to Indonesia


indonesia worthy ministries

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Christians and moderate Muslims in Indonesia fear new tensions after a hardline Islamic cleric returned from exile and held a massive wedding despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Rizieq Shihab, a controversial and influential Islamic leader, returned from Saudi Arabia last week to spread his “moral revolution” in the world’s largest Muslim nation.

He was greeted by a chaotic crowd of supporters bussed to meet him at the international airport in Jakarta, the capital.

Rizieq followed up with a wedding celebration for his daughter that reportedly drew some 10,000 guests.

The event violated the country’s restrictions on social distancing and crowd sizes. To date, Indonesia has experienced more than 470,000 infections and over 15,000 COVID-19 deaths on a population of 267 million, authorities say.

POLICE FIRED

On Monday, two regional police chiefs were fired for failing to “uphold health protocols,” and Rizieq was fined a token amount of about $3,500.

The police said they would also question Anies Baswedan, the Jakarta governor, and an ally of the cleric, who visited him last week after his return.

Rizieq’s arrival is closely followed by devoted Christians in the country, Worthy News learned. They recall the cleric’s involvement in reviving blasphemy laws to oust Basuki Tjahaha Purnama, Jakarta’s former ethnic Chinese Christian governor, popularly known as “Ahok”, who in 2017 was jailed for insulting Islam.

Indonesia experts warn for Rizieq’s immense populist clout and ability as a “kingmaker” to change the course of presidential elections and make or break political careers.

It also poses a challenge for current President Joko Widodo who has pledged reforms. “I want to emphasize that the safety of the people is the highest law,” he stressed.

DIFFICULT JOURNEY

The return of the cleric marks the end of a difficult personal journey.

Rizieq, who was jailed in 2008 on charges of inciting violence and who is head of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), became a figurehead for conservative Islam.

In 2017 police filed a case against Rizieq over insulting Indonesia’s secular state ideology, Pancasila.

He was also accused of breaching pornography laws, after an alleged steamy exchange with a supporter that included naked images of a woman was circulated online.

The cleric left Indonesia in 2017 and police dropped both cases a year later, but he had remained in self-exile in Saudi Arabia until last Tuesday.

We're being CENSORED ... HELP get the WORD OUT! SHARE!!!

Latest Worthy News

Wave of Attacks on U.S. Churches Raises Alarm as Anti-Christian Hostility Surges
Australian Jews Survive Arson Attack On Synagogue; Israeli Restaurant Smashed
Deadly Flood Ravages Texas Christian Camp: At Least 24 Dead, Dozens Missing After Guadalupe River Overflows at Camp Mystic
Trump Signs ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Into Law in Historic July 4 Celebration as Nation Marks 250th Year
EU To Set Up Global Trade Alternative, Challenging US Dominance (Worthy News In-Depth)
Trump Speaks To Ukraine’s Leader After Unprecedented Russian Strikes
Artificial Intelligence Taking Over Britain’s Health Service Within 10 Years (Worthy News Focus)
Netanyahu Heads to Washington as Trump Pushes ‘Deal of the Century’
Trump Tariff Strategy Nets $106 Billion in Customs Revenue as Trade Policy Pays Off
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. All rights reserved.

If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.

Worthy Christian News