In a move that would raise the eyebrows of both its critics and supporters, the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a group notorious for attacking minority groups, said Tuesday it would help guard churches during Christmas.
On Tuesday, FPI leader Rizieq Shihab went to Jakarta Police headquarters to offer the police his help in safeguarding Christmas celebrations at churches.
"We hope Christians can peacefully revel in Christmas. They have the right [to celebrate Christmas] and we have to respect that," Rizieq said after meeting with Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sutarman.
He claimed that the FPI was working with the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) and the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) on the initiative.
Rizieq said Christmas celebrations would not be disrupted by Muslims. "Islam is not allowed to disrupt other religions' worship."
Rizieq, however, was quick to qualify his statement. "Everyone from different religion should respect each another, but Christians should not provoke us," he said.
He also reiterated the FPI's stance on rejecting pluralism. "Pluralism confounds our religious teaching," he said.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharuddin Djafar welcomed the offer. He said police were working with church youth organizations in Jakarta for Christmas celebrations. "We will have a coordination meeting this Friday," Baharuddin said.
The offer from the Jakarta branch of the FPI comes only days after members of the hard-line organization, together with other Islamist groups and public order officers, raided the homes of Christians in Rancaekek, Bandung, that the groups claimed were being used as places of worship.
Earlier this year, members of the FPI assaulted HKBP church ministers in Bekasi, West Java. Also in Bekasi, FPI members took part in a campaign to demand that a 15-meter statue designed by a Balinese sculptor be taken down, saying that it represented the Holy Trinity.
Apart from attacking religious minorities, the FPI has recently taken to conducting a campaign on "piety". Last week, the group filed a complaint to the police against rock singer Ahmad Dhani for allegedly storing nude pictures of a popular singer.
The group also campaigned to bar the entry of Japanese porn star Maria "Miyabi" Ozawa, who was invited by local film producers to star in a local horror film.
Most of the FPI's actions, although illegal, are condoned by authorities, who seem to be either powerless against or complicit with the group's campaigns. In fact, some high-ranking government officials relish the chance to be publicly associated with the hardliners.
In August, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Timur Pradopo, who is now the National Police chief, attended the 12th anniversary celebrations of the FPI at the organization's headquarters in Petamburan, Central Jakarta.
Fauzi and Timur made their attendance a day after the group offered its services to enforce a city bylaw banning some entertainment establishments from operating during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.