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JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post / ANN): Rizieq Shihab, the ardent cleric who heads the Front of Defenders of Islam (FPI), returned to Indonesia on Tuesday (November 10) after nearly three years of self-proclaimed exile in Saudi Arabia.
Early Tuesday morning, thousands of his supporters, including members of the FPI, marched to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, to welcome the controversial cleric.
The numerous groups that converged during the march caused severe congestion on the road to the airport, while a video showing thousands of Rizieq supporters jamming the airport made its rounds on Twitter.
FPI attorney Aziz Yanuar said supporters came from various regions to welcome Rizieq home. The group had also prepared a ceremony to celebrate their return at the FPI headquarters in Petamburan, Tanah Abang, central Jakarta.
“The crowd is ready to greet him in Petamburan. It’s like greet someone who has returned from the haj,” Aziz said.
He added that anyone could join the FPI in celebrating Rizieq’s return.
Deputy Director of Traffic Adj. Comr. Soekarno-Hatta Police Tugiyo said that vehicles used by Rizieq supporters had obstructed access to and from the airport.
“They parked their vehicles along the Prof Soedijatmo, Jalan Perimeter Utara and Jalan Perimeter Selatan airport toll road, causing congestion. It is very difficult for traffic to move,” Tugiyo was quoted as saying by kompas.com on Tuesday.
Irra Sisyanti, director of marketing communications for Jasamarga Metropolitan Tollroad, said the traffic stretched for 7 km to Soekarno-Hatta airport.
“We are working with the police to control traffic,” he said.
Acting senior manager of branch communications and airport legal Haerul Anwar said Soekarno-Hatta had deployed 970 airport security personnel to secure the facilities during Rizieq’s arrival.
Haerul had previously urged Rizieq supporters to welcome him at his residence in Petamburan rather than at the airport, as doing so could disrupt airport operations and annoy other passengers.
“But those who insist on coming to the Soekarno-Hatta airport, please remain disciplined in following health protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
In late October, Rizieq announced his intention to return to Indonesia to support the FPI and other religious organizations in protesting the recently passed Job Creation Law, along with unions and students.
“Insha Allah [God willing]I will return to Indonesia soon. I will fight with Muslims again in our beloved country, ”he said in the video announcing his repatriation plan.
Rizieq also added that the current situation in Indonesia was “worrying”, but did not elaborate.
Rizieq became embroiled in several legal cases when he fled the country in 2017, reportedly in umrah (minor haj) to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The two most infamous cases for which the National Police had identified him as a suspect were a case of pornography and a case of insult to the state ideology, Pancasila.
He remained in the Muslim holy city in “self-exile” even after his visa expired in July 2018.
Rizieq, however, denies having exceeded his visa, claiming that the Islamic kingdom had denied approval of his bayan safar, or exit permit, and later extended his visa.
He has also threatened to sue anyone who spreads “rumors” that he had stayed longer than his visa to Saudi Arabia for defamation.
In December 2019, Rizieq claimed that he could not return to his home country because he had been “exiled” by the Indonesian government.
However, Indonesia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Agus Maftuh Abegebriel, said on Friday that the government had never prevented Rizieq from returning to the country.
Furthermore, despite claims by his supporters that the police had dropped all charges against Rizieq, Jakarta police spokesman Mr. Comr. Yusri Yunus did not confirm this right away.
“We are still checking [Rizieq’s] legal status [in connection with] several cases that have been brought against him, ”Yusri said Monday as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com. – The Jakarta Post / Asia New Network
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