SMRC Survey: Muslim Communities Are Divided About Who Was Wrong In The FPI-Police Laskar Clash

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JAKARTA - The Saiful Mujani Research Consulting (SMRC) Survey Institute released the results of a survey regarding the clash between the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the police on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road some time ago.

The SMRC Program Manager, Saidiman Ahmad, said that the SMRC raised questions to Muslim respondents about the clash between FPI and the police.

As a result, 62 percent of Muslims were aware of the clash that led to the shooting of six FPI troops, while 38 percent did not.

Then, of the 62 percent of Muslims who know, 34 percent think that FPI members attacked the police first. Then, 31 percent think it was the police officers who first attacked FPI. Meanwhile, 36 percent did not answer.

"Thus, the assessment of Muslim citizens is divided over the clash between FPI members and the police," Saidiman said in a virtual presentation of the survey, Tuesday, April 6.

On that occasion, from those who knew about the clashes, there were 38 percent of Muslims who considered the police's actions to violate legal procedures that rely on human rights principles.

Meanwhile, 37 percent considered police actions in accordance with legal procedures that rely on human rights principles.

"Muslims are divided in assessing the incident of clashes between FPI members and the police. But quite a number of people think that the death of 6 FPI activists is not positive, namely that the apparatus violates legal procedures that rely on human rights principles," he explained.

This survey was conducted in the period 28 February to 8 March 2021 with respondents who were Indonesian citizens who were 17 years old or over, or had already married when the survey was conducted.

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,220 randomly selected respondents. There is also an estimated margin of error of this survey at around 3.07 percent and a survey confidence level of 95 percent.