More than 70 000 members of a hard-line Muslim group held a rally in Indonesia that heard calls for a caliphate — or Islamic rule — to govern the world.
The supporters of the Hizbut Tahrir group filled up most of an 80 000-seat sports stadium in the capital, Jakarta, waving flags as they heard fiery speeches saying it was ”time for the caliphate to reign”.
The meeting was held as part of ”civic education” for Indonesian Muslims, said Muhammad Ismail Yusanto, a spokesperson for Hizbut Tahrir.
The organisation advocates Islamic rule and is banned in several Middle Eastern countries.
Supporters travelled to the stadium in convoys of buses from other parts of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. Local and foreign speakers were invited to give speeches.
But Yusanto said that two invitees, Imran Waheed from England and Syeik Ismail Al Wahwah from Australia, had been denied entry and deported from Indonesia on Friday.
”The organising committee deplores the deportation because they came to Indonesia at the invitation of the Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia to give their good advice for the progress of Islam, for the progress of this country,” he said.
Hard-line Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir declined to appear at the event, without giving a reason.
But Yusanto said that police had advised Bashir and another hard-line cleric, Habieb Rizieq, not to attend the conference.
The senior Muslim figure, Dien Syamsuddin, was among the key speakers to address the crowd. He is the chairperson of Indonesia’s second largest Islamic movement, the Muhammadiyah.
”Islam’s progress or regress depends entirely on Muslims themselves,” he told the crowd.
He said that ”the essence” of a caliphate was that Muslims be united and that therefore Indonesian Muslims should safeguard the unity of their country.
But popular Muslim preacher Abdullah Gymanstiar said Muslims in Indonesia were still divided over Sharia law.
”Why do some Muslims not agree with the Islamic Sharia, even though it is for the own good of Muslims?” he asked, his voice quickly drowned out by loud applause.
Security did not appear tight for the conference, with police limiting their role to directing traffic.
The rally ended with a prayer and the participants left the venue peacefully, but caused massive traffic jams as they departed.
Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia regularly holds peaceful street protests in several main cities on Islam-related issues. — AFP
