Protest continues over Indramayu Koran controversy<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Indramayu<\/p>\n
Thousands of people took to the streets of Indramayu on Thursday
\nboth to condemn and to support Regent Irianto MS Syafiuddin, who
\ncaused a controversy by printing copies of the Koran with his
\npicture inside.<\/p>\n
Groups of people -- those who want the regent to resign for
\nusing the Koran for political purposes and those who support the
\nbesieged Irianto -- held noisy gatherings outside the regent's
\noffice and the regency council building.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations began at about 9:30 a.m. under the watchful
\neyes of hundreds of officers from the Indramayu Police, the
\npolice's elite Mobile Brigade and the West Java Police<\/p>\n
Some 2,000 of the regent's supporters, calling themselves
\nIndramayu People, Supporters of Yance (the regent's nickname),
\narrived from outlying villages in dozens of trucks.<\/p>\n
They demanded people stop blowing up the case because the
\nregent had apologized and withdrew the controversial Koran from
\ncirculation.<\/p>\n
Irianto's supporters also threatened to \"deal with\" anyone who
\ntried to force the regent out of office or prevent him from
\nrunning for a second term during the upcoming election in
\nOctober.<\/p>\n
\"We are on the front line to support Regent Irianto's
\nleadership. We ask him not to step down. We also ask him to run
\nin the upcoming election,\" said Abdul Syakur, one of the
\ncoordinators of the demonstration.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, about 200 people, mostly student activists,
\ncontinued to demand the regent's resignation for insulting
\nMuslims by printing his picture in copies of the Koran.<\/p>\n
The protesters, calling themselves the West Indramayu People's
\nCommunication Forum, also demanded the police and prosecutors
\ninvestigate the matter.<\/p>\n
There was more than the Koran on the protesters mind, however,
\nand they accused the regent of ignoring western Indramayu in his
\ndevelopment policies.<\/p>\n
\"Development only happens in eastern Indramayu. This shows the
\nregent is an unfair leader. We want him to step down
\nvoluntarily,\" said Imam Yahya of the Indonesian Nationalist
\nUniversity Students' Movement and the forum's protest
\ncoordinator.<\/p>\n
Violence occurred when the two groups met outside the regent's
\noffice and Irianto's supporters surrounded the outnumbered
\nactivists and began pelting them with stones and other objects.<\/p>\n
When the police moved in to try and separate the groups they
\nwere targeted by the regent's stone-throwing supporters.<\/p>\n
Several activists were physically assaulted by the regent's
\nsupporters. The police arrested 11 people allegedly involved in
\nthe violence.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Irianto repeated his apology to all Muslims in
\nIndramayu, Indonesia and the entire world for printing his
\npicture in the copies of the Koran.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists after the protest, he also repeated
\nhis willingness to resign if the residents of Indramayu no longer
\nwanted him to serve as regent.<\/p>\n
\"If it is only one or two people who want me to resign, I will
\nnot pay attention. But if the people of Indramayu want me to
\nresign, I will do so tomorrow.\"<\/p>\n
Irianto had over 4,000 copies of the Koran printed with his
\npicture inside, as well as his mission statement. Several clerics
\nhave weighed in on the controversy, calling the printing of the
\nKoran with the regent's picture inside haram, or forbidden in
\nIslam.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/protest-continues-over-indramayu-koran-controversy-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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