Pangdam Jaya Orders TNI To Remove Banner Rizieq: If Necessary, FPI Just Disband

Rizieq Shihab during a speech at his residence (Photo: Irfan Meidianto)

JAKARTA - Regional Commander of the Jaya Military Command (Pangdam Jaya) Maj. Gen. Dudung Abdurachman said the removal of the banner of the Grand Imam of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab was his order. This responds to the viral video of a number of people wearing stripes of removing Rizieq's banner.

"There is a striped shirt lowering Habib Rizieq's billboard, that's my order," said Dudung after carrying out the disaster preparedness rally and regional elections at Monas, Central Jakarta, Friday, October 20.

This order was issued following a banner with Rizieq's picture that was removed by the Satpol PP but was soon installed again. Moreover, every community who wants to install billboards should obey the applicable rules, including the location for installation and must pay taxes.

"Anyone in this Republic, this is a state of law. Must obey the law. If you put billboards there are clear rules, there are tax payments, and the place is determined. Don't go around as if he is the right one. There is no such thing," he said.

He further said that he had also given orders to clean up similar billboards. Especially the billboards that invite people to make a revolution. "I will clean everything," he said.

"There are no billboards inviting revolution and all kinds. I warn and I will not hesitate to take firm action, do not try to disturb unity and integrity, do not feel like representing Muslims," he added.

In addition, Dudung assesses that FPI is currently doing whatever it wants to. So he said that this organization should be dissolved.

"If necessary, FPI just dissolve it. Just dissolve it. If you try it with the TNI, come on. Now how come they are the ones who arrange their own pleasure,"

Regional Commander of the Jaya Military Command, Maj. Gen. TNI Dudung Abdurachman

It is known that a number of videos of people dressed in stripes were seen taking down FPI banners that read 'Under the Command of the High Imam' depicting Rizieq wearing a green turban and wearing a white shirt. The video is 11 seconds long and shows a number of people in striped clothes cutting the ropes that tie these banners to bamboo poles.

For information, Rizieq Shihab returned to Indonesia on Tuesday, November 10. He returned home to carry out a moral revolution because he considered the current government to have done wrong. When he returned to Indonesia, his supporters picked him up at Soekarno-Hatta Airport and this caused a long traffic jam which resulted in the cancellation of a number of flights.

Not only that, on Saturday, November 14, he also held a wedding ceremony for his son, which was accompanied by the commemoration of the Prophet's birthday. Recently, this event has become a public spotlight because of the large crowds who gathered and violated health protocols in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the aftermath, a number of people were later questioned by the police, including DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.