Jakarta – A spokesman for the campaign team of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has denied welcoming the endorsement of a hard-line Islamic group known for attacking religious minorities.

Bara Hasibuan said on Sunday that a report in the Jakarta Globe on Saturday, which quoted him as saying that the coalition behind Prabowo "can't refuse" the support of the Islamic Defenders Front, or FPI, was a misquote.

"I have no comment on the coalition's ties with or support from the FPI and like-minded groups. We never condone violence," said Bara, a politician from the National Mandate Party, or PAN, whose chairman, Hatta Rajasa, is Prabowo's running mate.

The Globe had quoted Bara as saying on Thursday that although the FPI was notorious for its violent methods, the coalition "welcomes all support, no matter the background of the supporter."

On Sunday, though, Bara said the coalition eschewed violence in all its forms, and did not condone the repression of religious minorities, as the FPI has done for years.

"Indonesia stands on a foundation of pluralism, and we will continue to strengthen this," he said. "Every citizen has the right to practice their beliefs without fear, and the state is obliged to provide protection for [them]."

The claim, however, jars against Hatta's own courting of the FPI at a Jakarta mosque on May 27, in which he called for the hard-liners to support him and Prabowo in the July 9 election.

The FPI responded last Wednesday not with a direct endorsement of the ticket, but by throwing its support behind the three Islamic parties that are part of the coalition, including the PAN.

But it set several conditions for its support, including a commitment by the parties to encourage the proliferation of shariah-inspired bylaws across the country.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/pan-official-denies-nod-fpi-support/