REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chairman of Advisory Board of the National Movement to Guard the Indonesian Council of Ulama's Fatwa (GNPF MUI), Muhammad Habib Rizieq Syihab, said that there were attempts to weaken the Action Defend Islam III (212 rally). "Firstly, the rally was slandered as an attempt of coup," Rizieq said. 

Secondly, Rizieq said there was an issue that the Friday prayer on the street was prohibited by Islamic law. "Third, there was also an attempt to obstruct the demonstrators from other regions to join the rally in Jakarta," he remarked. 

According to Rizieq, logically the 212 rally should have been failed. The mass would not be doubled. "It seem impossible to be able to compare the mass of Aksi Bela Islam I and Aksi Bela Islam II,” Rizieq said through a streaming line when evaluating the rally on Sunday (12/4) Markas Syariah, Petamburan, Jakarta. 

Fourth, Rizieq added, the statement made by the state security leader heat up the atmosphere. Recently, a number of scholars, habaib, and Islamic priest was visited and was persuaded by the President not to join the rally.  “These were an all-out deflation,” Rizieq said. “But, Alhamdulillah, by doing communication and discussion, we finally accepted the requirement from the government.”

As the previous rally, the rally held in National Monument (Monas), Jakarta, on Friday (12/2). GNPF MUI demanded the authorities to imprison Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as he has been named the suspect of alleged religious blasphemy.