A group named the Youth Network Against Slander (JIMAF) has filed a lawsuit against Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) chief Rizieq Shihab after he allegedly stated that the new Rupiah banknotes carry the symbol of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
The report was received by the Jakarta Police's Special Crime Unit onMonday.
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Herdiyan Saksono Zoulba, coordinator of JIMAF, said that Rizieq's statement, which was recorded in a video, could harm public harmony.
His statement was 'to make it [look] real, [one] letter was blurred [while the other one was] made clear. This is real. We have reported this to Indonesia Police Chief[and lets see] what they will do.It is not a slander. This BI letters [look like] a hammer and a sickle. This is too much. These are hammer and sickle, hammer and sickle are on the front, brother. These are hammer and sickle, what do hammer and sickle symbolize? They are the symbols of PKI! Herdiyan said, imitating Rizieq in the video, as quoted by Detik.com.
Rizieqs allegations have been denied by authorities at the central bank.
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We are afraid that it may cause a discord amid the SARA [ethnicity, religion, race, and class] issues happen these days, said Herdiyan, who with his group reported Rizieq for a violation of the Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE Law) No. 19 Article 28.
On a separate occasion, FPI Spokesperson Munarman said that Rizieqs statement was not a call for action, and is therefore is not an issue that violates the ITE Law. Rizieq, according to Munarman, was merely reminding the government about the resemblance so it can be fixed to avoid further associations.
This hammer and sickle case is not Rizieq's first lawsuit. Back in October 2016, President Soekarno's daughter Sukmawati Soekarnoputri reported him for insulting Indonesia's Pancasila ideology. The Youth Interfaith Forum, alongside the Indonesian Catholic Students Association (PMKRI) and Students Peace Insititute (SPI) has also previously reported him for blasphemy.