Indonesia: President, VP Urge Calm Ahead of Hardline Islamic Protest

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 "The government will listen to all opinions...but I believe because the protest will be carried out on Friday, a holy day, protesters will be respectful. That is our hope."

(Photo AP/VOA)

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Voice of America
By VOA/Reuters | November 3, 2016

JAKARTA — Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his vice president called for peace as tensions rose on Thursday ahead of a protest planned by hardline Muslim groups against the Jakarta governor, a Christian and the first ethnic Chinese in the job.

The groups claim that Governor Basuki Tjahja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", had insulted the Qoran (Muslims' Holy Book) and was guilty of blasphemy. They plan a protest rally on Friday.

Security has been tightened in Jakarta, a sprawling city of 10 million, and police have deployed armored vehicles and armed personnel as the plan stoked religious and ethnic tensions in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

"Everything and everyone should continue to work as normal, schools should run as normal," Widodo said in a joint statement with Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Kalla added: "The government will listen to all opinions...but I believe because the protest will be carried out on Friday, a holy day, protesters will be respectful. That is our hope."

But some businesses have told employees to stay home on Friday, citing fears that violence could erupt during the rally.

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