By: Enny Rahmawaty )*
The massive rejection of the extension of the permission of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) organization was realized in a petition entitled ‘Stop FPI License’ which was signed by more than 310,000 people on Friday 10 May 2019.
Previously, the information had also been confirmed to the Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo and confirmed that there had not been an application for the extension of registered community organizations’ licenses with the SKT 01-00-00 / 010 / D.III.4 / VI / 2014 number.
Now, according to the new provisions in Law 16/2017 concerning Community Organizations, it contains a mechanism for dissolving mass organizations that no longer go through the courts.
FPI is considered to be hampered because in the regulation, CSOs are prohibited from carrying out acts of hostility towards ethnicity, religion, race and inter-group (SARA), blasphemy, disturbing public order, and carrying out activities that are the duty and authority of law enforcers.
Socio-Political Observer from Syarif Hidayatullah UIN Jakarta Adi Prayitno argued, that this phenomenon was a consequence of the negative image of FPI that had taken root in society.
In 2012 Minister of Home Affairs (Minister of Home Affairs) Gamawan Fauzi also considered considering freezing the mass organization, because he could not forget the FPI mass anarchist action during the demonstration to reject the evaluation of nine local regulations on alcohol on January 12, 2012. At that time a number of glass of the Ministry of Home Affairs building destroyed by the anarchist action.
FPI has recorded history as a mass organization which often riots, during a peaceful demonstration organized by the National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Belief (AKKBB), FPI launched its action by beating the participants of the action with bamboo, not a few participants in the bloody action, not even the people the men who were victims, the mothers who brought their children were not spared from the beating victims.
In addition, bad memories were also expressed by Rev. Palti Panjaitan, at that time he was moving towards the Filestelfia Batak Protestant Christian Church (HKBP) one morning on Sunday, 2012. As usual on Sunday, as pastor Palti must lead the congregations who regularly worship in the Church located in the Tambun Bekasi area. Even though it was sealed, the congregation continued to worship in the church grounds.
But who would have thought, his intention to worship ended in disaster. Suddenly dozens of people in white robes labeled Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) had filled the church grounds. They blocked the congregations who were going to worship.
“Every week is always the case, we are forbidden to worship,” Palti said.
On each occasion, Palti also admitted, not infrequently the congregation had to receive a rotten egg to the water on the way to the church. Even when worshiping, the FPI group conducted a demonstration with loudspeakers to disturb the congregation who were praying.
“The most severe during Christmas Eve, the congregation was stopped until they had to be evacuated to the Tambun police station,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Awit Khilafah Enforcement Division, Masyuri, stated that the FPI had agreed to fight for Islamic law through constitutional channels. However, the system that applies in Indonesia is democracy, something that is certainly contrary to the FPI’s perspective.
He asserted, FPI did not accept democracy because it was contrary to God’s law. Democracy, according to him, is a law made by humans because it is not supposed to be believed.
FPI wants Indonesia to use the principle of deliberation, not a democratic system. Including in the selection of national leaders.
But in fact the statement seemed contradictory for the 2019 election, where the banner of one of the presidential candidates was juxtaposed with the photo of FPI leader Habib Rizieq. Of course it is strange if the FPI rejects democracy but participates in a democratic party as sympathizers of one of the candidate pairs.
FPI certainly must realize that it lives in Indonesia, which has grown in diversity for a long time, even that Indonesia has stood longer than the FPI which was only inaugurated in the mid 90s.
If khilafah becomes a fixed price for FPI, then Indonesia is not a suitable place for them, the anarchist and riotous impression will be difficult to eliminate by society, especially from non-Muslim circles.
FPI should have realized that the previous ulama, preached religion in a polite manner, not with a repressive attitude that seemed arrogant like sweeping food stalls during Ramadan.
The government currently only has 2 choices, namely: first to make an agreement so that FPI becomes a society that is tolerant to other religious adherents, both freezing FPI licenses that have track records as a mass organization.
)* The author is a social observer