MUI Bali Will Report Arya Wedakarna On Allegations Of Blasphemy

DENPASAR - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Bali Province will report DPD member Arya Wedakarna or AWK on suspicion of blasphemy

MUI Bali has held a daily council meeting attended by all components of Islamic community organizations (ormas) in Bali, Wednesday, January 3 in Denpasar.

"Which we already know, how Muslims react not only in Bali but also on a national scale. So I received information, telephone, whatsapp, from friends outside Bali who urged this problem to be taken seriously, because they also followed that their track record was not only this time that AWK injured the feelings of Muslims," said the Daily Head of the Bali MUI Legal Division, Agus Samijaya.

The meeting was attended by 30 Islamic organizations in Bali including Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, Islamic Unity (Persis), Hidayatullah, and Aisyiyah.

During the meeting, it was decided to complain to AWK to the DPD BK to be removed from the status of a member. Second, report Arya Wedakarna to the police.

"We don't know where to report it yet. Even though now the reports have been spread in almost every province. Earlier we received information, NTB has reported, then in Java almost the provinces have made reports as well. Because this is a problem for Muslims, it's not just a matter of Muslims in Bali," he said.

According to Agus, Arya Wedakarna's track record is racist and Islamophobia.

"We have studied his track record of statements and AWK's behavior. How he is very racist, very Islamophobic and touching things that Muslims say are a belief of Muslims," he said.

Regarding AWK's apology, MUI emphasized that it would not erase the ethical process as well as the legal process.

"Regarding apologies, humanely, we personally forgive. But that does not mean that we will stop the process of violating ethics and violating the law. We have received pressure from the mandate of all mass organizations in Bali and friends outside Bali so that this case is processed according to the code of ethics and law," he said.

Arya Wedakarna or AWK went viral on social media for allegedly alluding to the use of the hijab for Muslim women.

In the video clip, Arya Wedakarna at that time attended a meeting with the Head of the Bali Customs Office (Kanwil) Nusra, and the Head of the Ngurah Rai Customs Regional Office, as well as the manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, and Arya Wedakarna said the racist words.

"I don't want the frontlines, I want a Balinese girl like you, her hair is visible, open. Don't give the cover-covers it's not clear. This is not Middle East (This is not the Middle East). It's good in Bali, useAKE flowers, what are you, wear a bije here. If possible, before the task, tell me to pray purely, use it," said Arya Wedakarna.