'Suaka Metro' tabloid protested<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About 400 members of the Islam Defender Front
\n(FPI) staged a protest on Friday in front of Suaka Metro daily's
\noffice in Central Jakarta, demanding the closure of the tabloid
\non the grounds that it had insulted the FPI leadership.<\/p>\n
In a front-page report on Thursday, the tabloid displayed a
\npicture of four FPI leaders sitting in a hospital lobby with
\nthe caption: \"Four faith healers (dukun) in Arabic dress visited
\nPak Harto in Pertamina hospital\".<\/p>\n
FPI, denying that they visited Pak Harto (Soeharto), the
\ncountry's former president who was treated at the hospital and
\nreleased on Friday, said members of the front in fact hated
\nSoeharto for his authoritarian rule.<\/p>\n
FPI spokesman Reza Fahlevi told the tabloid's editor that the
\ncaption hurt not only the feelings of members of the front but
\nalso insulted Muslims, saying, \"Our leaders are not dukun and we
\ndo not have any relations with Soeharto.\"<\/p>\n
During the meeting with Asdar Muis, the tabloid's editor,
\nReza explained the four FPI leaders were in the hospital to visit
\nanother member, who underwent medical treatment on the same floor
\nas Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Despite Asdar's apology, FPI said that it would file a legal
\nsuit against the tabloid and demanded its closure. The
\nprotesters also threatened to burn down the office of Suaka
\nMetro.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the meeting, Asdar said it was he alone who was
\nresponsible for the editorial error and would comply with FPI's
\ndemands.<\/p>\n
The angry protesters, demanding that police arrest Asdar for
\ninsulting Islam, said that they would burn the police station if
\ntheir demand was not met.<\/p>\n
Police troops, who had come to the site to calm down the
\nsituation, took Asdar to the station and the protesters
\ndispersed. (04)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/suaka-metro-tabloid-protested-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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