The Chairperson Of PBNU Calls An Example Of Identity Politics In The DKI Regional Head Election, If It's Azan Ganjar, It's Not

Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Nasyirul Falah Amru. BETWEEN/Personal Documents

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Nasyirul Falah Amru (Gus Falah) stated that the call to prayer broadcast showing Ganjar Pranowo's future presidential candidate (readpres) was not identity politics. Gus Falah explained that the practice of identity politics is in the form of 'attacking' against figures, candidates, and groups with ethnic, racial, gender, and certain religions. "Identity politics that must be rejected is to circumvent racial, ethnic, gender, and religious differences for certain political purposes," he said in a written statement in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, September 13. Gus Falah gave an example of identity politics ever to attack Megawati Soekarnoputri in the 1999 election. At that time, propaganda that women should not be leaders, and propaganda made religious arguments justification. "This is identity politics, attacking identity, in this case the gender of others by making religion a justification for political purposes," he said. In addition, identity politics was also used in the 2017 DKI Jakarta Governor Election (Pilgub). At that time, the propaganda played was an invitation not to select candidates who were not certain religions. Another example of identity politics can be seen in the 2018 North Sumatra (North Sumatra) Pilgub. The issues used are natives and migrants. "In the North Sumatra Pilgub there was an attack on certain candidates who were considered not natives of North Sumatra. The identity politics was based on attacks on figures or groups who had certain identities," he said.

Regarding the call to prayer showing featuring Ganjar Pranowo, Gus Falah stated that there was no attack on the identity of other figures or groups. "So, the show is not identity politics," he said.