#saveahok

because twitter isn’t enough and non-Indons might have heard about this since #Ahok was in the TT yesterday

A little background on the subject matter: Jakarta’s governor Basuki T. Purnama (Ahok) was recently sentenced to two years in jail for allegedly insulting a Koran passage http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1842GE (you’ll find many others and deeper background floating around)

Ahok is probably the first Jakarta governor to sweep the city off corrupt shitbags, with people condemning him for being both ethnically Chinese and a Christian. People have actually not supported him for these reasons alone despite enjoying developments under his administration. This has gone beyond matters of race and ethnicity. This has gone far beyond what he said wrong or what he did right, what people think of him and the FPI. This is about more than Jakarta. This is how Indonesia’s proving itself not just as a country, but as a collective of different peoples once dubbed one of the world’s best muslim majority with the smoothest running democracy. And we’re doing it wrong. So wrong.

Political events are what reveal the darkest layers of people, which is a pretty bitter truth. My mom cried over the arrest but her agony came mostly from the fact that my dad voted for Anies Baswedan, who sided with the FPI (the islamist radicals) and the radical Muslim majority and who happens to used to be a really good guy; I’ve seen friends condemning each other for seeming like they’re iconizing Ahok but all they’re saying is basically “nothing you do means shit”; some are rallying with the rest of the supporters in the city center; some shouted Allahuakbar when Ahok was arrested.

Ahok’s arrest and Rizieq being set loose, in my personal conviction, was meant as a declaration of who’s about to be in power. I guess some of us have known how all this is merely drama - some say to overthrow Jokowi, some say this is SBY getting a hardon over power supply, what have you, theories all over. It’s been compared to Trump vs Clinton numerous times (though I think Trump vs Sanders is more proper) because Anies, who himself is a moderate and NOT a conservative, sides with the hardliners as a means of capitalizing the majority belief to gain votes. I’m part of that majority. I’m part of the Malayan-by-race, Muslim majority, the same majority that proved through the elections and the arrest and the events prior to following, that democracy will always, and always, side with the majority. Our majority marginalizes, while the rest are keeping quiet.

Ahok’s arrest might not affect *some* layers of society but I doubt it’ll have little to no effect to minorities when we’ve heard FPI and radicals shouting “Sweep the christians!” Or “kill the chinese”. This is currently happening, guys. If you’re reading this in Ohio or NY or LA or Bedstuy, this is happening. More or less a total reversal of what’s happening in the US. And it’s just as scary.

To anyone, Indonesians or non, reading this I beg yall: no more neutrality. No more keeping quiet, no more of that “i’m tired of politics” bullshit. You’re hating on people who put Ahok on a pedestal? Try hating on people who put Soekarno on a pedestal for bringing about a fucking independence. Try saying the same shit on people who respect, not worship, profoundly the likes of Malcolm X or Bhutto, not because they’re pure or prophets,they’re not. But they do bring about change. They’re driving the masses to where it could and would be better and equal for everyone. And I think it’s complete and utter crap to charge a man for a criminal offense that would satisfy a majority whose belief is totally politicized by sick fucks with their holy pawns.

If you’re reading this, know where we stand. I stand with Ahok because I believe in him - a entirely imperfect, flawed human being and one of very, very few to dare provoke and challenge injustice. The nation is stirred, politicians are stirred, everybody’s gearing up for a revolution, and looks like we’ve got our symbol. Ahok’s gonna go down in history, and I’ll be damned if we aren’t part of that with him.

Read more here: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1851N8?il=0 https://www.google.co.id/amp/s/amp.tirto.id/investigasi-allan-nairn-ahok-hanyalah-dalih-untuk-makar-cm2X https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/09/the-guardian-view-on-blasphemy-in-indonesia-exploiting-religion-for-political-purposes http://jakartaglobe.id/business/globeasias-man-year-ahok-indonesias-shooting-star/ http://www.erabaru.net/2017/04/24/tulisan-alan-nairn-di-tirto-id-ahok-hanyalah-dalih-untuk-makar-tni-membantah-ini-saran-dewan-pers/