MUI: Ahok statement is a blasphemy and has legal consequences

MUI: Ahok statement is a blasphemy and has legal consequences.

JAKARTA -- Governor Basuki Tjahaja (Ahok)'s statement about Alquran surah Al Maidah verse 51 has caused unrest among the people, therefore the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) reviewed the case and gave its religious statement on Tuesday. "Ahok has insulted the Holy Quran and/or the clerics. His statement has a legal consequences," Chairman (MUI) Ma'ruf Amin said.

Ma'ruf explained Alquran surah Al Maidah verse 51 explicitly contains a prohibition for Muslims to make the Jewish and Christian as leader. "This verse as the proposition prohibition non-Muslims as a leader,'' he said.

MUI stated Islamic clerics are obliged to convey the contents of surah Al Maidah verse 51 in order to remind every Muslim to vote for Muslim as leader. At this point, MUI statement has broken Ahok's opinion about the verse.

Ahok believed clerics or Muslim in general who cited Al Maidah verse 51 were manipulating and politicizing the verse for political gain. "Ahok has insulted the clerics and Muslims by saying Muslims are manipulated by the verse or who ever citing the verse," Ma'ruf said.

Also read: Jakarta Governor apologizes for offending Muslims

Further more, MUI said every Muslim should believe the truth and accuracy of surah Al-Maidah verse 51 as a guidance in choosing a leader. "It is haram to say Al Maidah verse 51 as a false guidance and it is a religious blasphemy of the Quran," Ma'ruf underlined.

MUI said the government and the people are obligated to keep the harmony in religious life, in the society, in the state and in the nation. The government also has the obligation to prevent religious blasphemy by not neglecting the case. "We are asking the people to remain calm, not to vigilante, and let the authority handle the case. Of course, we should keep an eye in blasphemy activities and report it to the authority," Ma'ruf said.

MUI urged the authority to act proactive and firm in religious blasphemy case. "Who ever did religious blasphemy over the Quran and the Islamic teachings or insulting the clerics and Muslims should be dealt firmly," Ma'ruf said.

Also read: Muslim condems Jakarta Governor for religious blasphemy

In order to keep public trust in law enforcement, the case should be processed quickly and proportionally in a professional manner. "The authority should consider the sense of justice for the people," Ma'ruf said.