JAKARTA:A firebrand Indonesian cleric turned himself in to authorities Saturday after he was accused of inciting people to breach pandemic restrictions by holding events with large crowds.
Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, arrived at Jakarta police headquarters a day after police warned they would arrest him after he ignored several summonses.
Wearing a white robe, turban and face mask, Shihab told reporters that he never ran away or hid from police.
“With God's permission, I can come to the Jakarta police for an investigation according to the laws and regulations,” he said ahead of questioning.
Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus told a news conference Friday that Shihab is accused of ignoring measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 by holding an event to commemorate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday and the wedding of his daughter last month that pulled in thousands of his supporters.
He said Shihab could face up to six years in prison if found guilty of inciting people to violate health regulations amid an outbreak and of obstructing law enforcement.
Shihab’s presence in several events in Jakarta and West Java attracted large crowds with attendants visibly ignoring physical distancing and many failing to wear masks.
Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan and West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil have been questioned as witnesses in the case.
The gatherings took place less than a week after his arrival from a three-year exile in Saudi Arabia.
Shihab left Indonesia in 2017 for a pilgrimage to Mecca shortly after police charged him in a pornography case and with insulting the official state ideology. Police dropped both charges a year later due to weak evidence, but authorities in Saudi Arabia had banned him from leaving the country without an explanation.
The Islamic Defenders Front, known by its Indonesian acronym FPI, has a long record of vandalizing nightspots, hurling stones at Western embassies and attacking rival religious groups. It wants the Islamic Shariah law to apply to Indonesia’s 230 million Muslims.
The group has gained significant influence in recent years through humanitarian and charity work. It was a key organizer of massive street protests in 2016 and 2017 against the Christian governor of Jakarta, who was subsequently imprisoned for blasphemy.
Indonesia has reported more than 600,000 cases of the coronavirus, the largest tally in Southeast Asia and second in Asia only to India’s 9.8 million cases.
AP Newsroom
Sat Dec 12 2020
Indonesian Islamic cleric and the leader of Islamic Defenders Front Rizieq Shihab, center, gestures at reporters upon arrival at the regional police headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. AP Photo
Kemajuan pembinaan ECRL di empat negeri cecah purata 65 peratus - Loke
Kemajuan pelaksanaan projek ECRL yang merangkumi Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, dan Selangor telah mencapai purata 65 peratus setakat April.
Sekurang-kurangnya 15 maut di Sulawesi
Sekurang-kurangnya 15 terbunuh akibat banjir dan tanah runtuh di dua daerah Sulawesi Selatan.
Perayu jemaah haji sudah terima panggilan
Mereka yang layak selepas membuat rayuan sudah menerima panggilan, dengan penerbangan pertama ke Tanah Suci dijadualkan pada 9 Mei ini.
10,000 wanita terbunuh sejak Israel mengganas
Israel terus menyasarkan wanita dalam serangan tanpa henti rejim Zionis di Semenanjung Gaza, kata Agensi Kerja dan Bantuan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) pada Jumaat.
Jabatan Perbendaharaan AS lawat Malaysia, Singapura minggu depan
Pegawai tertinggi sekatan Jabatan Perbendaharaan Amerika Syarikat (AS) akan ke Singapura dan Malaysia minggu depan, dalam usaha menyekat saluran dana kepada Iran dan proksinya selain pengelakan sekatan terhadap Russia.
PM Anwar rasmi Taman Rekreasi Madani Woodlands
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini merasmikan Taman Rekreasi Madani Woodlands di Ipoh bagi kemudahan rekreasi dan riadah orang ramai.
Isu boikot: Teliti situasi, pandangan sebelum ambil tindakan
Ia susulan kenyataan Mufti Negeri Perak, Datuk Seri Wan Zahidi Wan Teh yang berkata tindakan boikot terhadap kedai serbaneka KK Mart , sebenarnya bertentangan dengan sunnah Rasulullah SAW.
ASNB lancar platform Ria, raih RM6 juta pelaburan
ASNB melancarkan Penasihat Pelaburan Robo (Ria) secara berperingkat sejak 11 Mac lalu menerima 60,000 pengguna platform itu.
AWANI Ringkas: Penumpang selamat, pesawat ringan terhempas
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
CAAM sahkan pesawat ringan terhempas di Tanjung Malim
Pihak Berkuasa Penerbangan Awam Malaysia (CAAM) mengesahkan pesawat Cessna 172N Skyhawk erhempas di Felda Gunung Besout, Tanjung Malim, Perak pada Sabtu.
COVID-19: Indonesia catat 3,807 kes baharu, perhimpunan penyokong Rizieq Shihab cetus kebimbangan
Indonesia mencatatkan 3,807 kes jangkitan baharu COVID-19 dalam tempoh 24 jam menjadikan kes keseluruhan di republik itu kini 474,455 kes.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini, Isnin, 16 November 2020.
COVID-19 bukan alasan lautan manusia sambut kepulangan Habib Rizieq
Selepas lebih tahun menetap di Arab Saudi, kepulangan Rizieq Shihab disambut penuh kegembiraan oleh ribuan pengikut setianya.
Selepas tiga tahun, kepulangan Rizieq Shihab disambut ribuan penyokongnya
Rizieq ditahan di Arab Saudi selama 3 tahun selepas didakwa atas kesalahan jenayah termasuk pornografi