Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) deputy secretary Tengku Zulkarnain late Tuesday evening said that he had met with Rizieq Shihab who had just returned after a self-exile for three years in Saudi Arabia.
"We met after Isya [afternoon prayer] since there were too many people earlier in the day," said Zulkarnain on November 10. "There would also be too many visitors in subuh (prayer at dawn)."
The MUI deputy secretary in early Wednesday uploaded a photo of his casual meeting in his Instagram account, which also showed a figure that turns out to be Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.
He confirmed this to Antaranews that he coincidentally was at Rizieq Shihab's house the same time the governor made a visit – who he said was already there before him – and asserts that he followed the COVID-19 health protocol upon meeting the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI).
"I was only there after Isya. [Anies and I] did not plan to visit him together as it was just accidental," said Zulkarnaen.