Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – A poem read by opposition activist Neno Warisman at the 212 Munajat prayer event at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta has drawn criticism for implying that Indonesia would become a godless society if Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto lost the upcoming presidential election.
The poem called on God to help "leaders who have slandered, ulema who have been imprisoned and warriors who have been obstructed" in an apparent criticism of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration, which the 212 movement has often attacked for being "anti-Islam."
Midway through the poem, Neno read out in a tearful voice:
"Do not abandon us [but] give us victory
Because if You do not give us victory
We are worried O Allah
We are worried O Allah
That there will be no one to worship You anymore."
This portion of the poem has since gone viral, with many netizens condemning Neno for "threatening Allah".
The line was a reference to a prayer Prophet Muhammad made during the Battle of Badr, which is considered a key turning point in Muhammad's struggle against his opponents in the early days of Islam.
According to a hadith, upon seeing that his army, which consisted of the earliest Muslim converts and was vastly outnumbered by the enemy, Muhammad appealed to God for victory, saying: "O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, Thou will not be worshipped on this Earth."
Robikin Emhas, an executive of Indonesia's largest Islamic mass organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), criticized Neno's apparent comparison between the presidential election and the battle.
"Jokowi is a Muslim, [Jokowi's running mate] Ma'ruf Amin is a Muslim, Prabowo is a Muslim, [Praowo's running mate] Sandiaga Uno is a Muslim. All the presidential candidates are Muslims. So, what is the basis of the fear that there will be no one to worship God if a certain ticket loses?" he said in a statement on Saturday.
"Remember, the God that we worship is Allah SWT. Not the presidential election."
The central Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has also criticized the Jakarta MUI branch for its role in organizing the "political" 212 Munajat prayer.
"As a religious organization, the MUI should not be dragged into practical politics because that is not compatible with the character, policy and identity of the MUI as a big tent for the Muslim faith," MUI deputy chairman Zainut said on Saturday as quoted by Antara.
The 212 movement is linked to the massive sectarian rally held on Dec. 2, 2016, staged to demand the prosecution of then-Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy.
The movement has claimed to be non-political, though it has been seen as an anti-Jokowi group and many of its members are supporters of the Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign.