REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Muslim preacher Bachtiar Nasir said Indonesia will hold another big rally in support of the Palestinians following US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. A peaceful rally will be held at National Monument (Monas) area, Central Jakarta, on Friday (May 11).
Ustaz Bachtiar called on the people to join the international march for Palestinian independence. Australia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Russia, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Marocco, Bosnia, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Cuba and Argentine will also stage the same demonstration ahead of Trump's visit to Jerusalem on the next day (May 12).
He assured that the demonstration will be free from political elements. "Please do not bring t-shirts affiliated to your political preference in regional or presidential elections," he said at Spirit of al-Aqsa headquarters, Tebet, South Jakarta, on Saturday (May 5).
He said it will be too shallow to carry the issue of Bayt al-Maqdis to the local political interests. Therefore, ustaz Bachtiar asked participants to not bring any political attributes that could deface the honour of fight to free al-Aqsa.
"There will be only two flags allowed to be raised during the rally, namely Indonesian and Palestinian," ustaz Bachtiar explained.
Furthermore, ustaz Bachtiar said the event will be family friendly. Mothers and children are invited to come. Medical posts, toilets and other facilities to be installed at Monas area.
"Insya Allah (God will), the rally will be safe so mothers and children can enjoy it as recreation to build the spirit of jihad and nationalism because we act on behalf of Indonesia," he said.
Ustaz Bachtiar said the rally will be started by having congregational dawn prayer and continued with reciting the dhikr led by ustaz Arifin Ilham. The main event to be held at 09:00 am West Indonesia Standard time.
Prominent Islamic figures, among others, KH Ma'ruf Amin, KH Abdullah Gymnastiar (Aa Gym), ustaz Shobri Lubis, KH Abu Jibril, ustaz Felix Siauw, ustaz Abdul Somad, ustaz Adi Hidayat, ustaz Oemar Mata, Bang Onim, Neno Warisman, Peggy "Khadijah", Oki Setiana Dewi and singer Melly Goeslaw. Around 1,000 hafizs will read surah al Isra and al Kahfi.
"We invite the people to read al Isra verse 1 to 10, insya Allah our heart will connect to al-Quds and Allah grant our prayer," he said.
Trump is scheduled to visit Jerusalem on Saturday (May 12) to coincide with Israel's 70th Independence Day. He planned to inaugurate US Embassy in Israel that has been relocated from Tel Aviv. Trump's controversial move was stated on December 5, 2017.
US President Donald Trump, accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, holds up a signed proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Dec. 6, 2017, in Washington. (AP).
On December 17, 2017, Indonesian staged a massive demonstration to respond Trump's unilateral decision to fulfill his campaign promise. Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) Chairman KH Ma'ruf Amin led United Indonesia Action for Palestine or also popular as 1712 action at the Embassy of the US and around National Monument.
Ten of thousands people join the United Indonesia Action for Palestine or also popular as 1712 action to protest US President Donald Trump move on Jerusalem, in National Monument (Monas) area, Central Jakarta, on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Government also has strongly condemned the United States' plan to move its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem in May this year. Indonesian President Joko Widodo declared that he and the people of Indonesia remain consistent in their support to the Palestinian people in fighting for their independence and rights in accordance with the mandate of Preamble to the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia.
Two states solution
Jerusalem is home city to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity especially in East Jerusalem. For Muslims, Jerusalem is the third holiest site following Ka'ba in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.
On the other hand, Palestine has considered East Jerusalem as the capital of its future state and according to 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.
Palestinian Muslims hold congregational Friday prayer in front of Dome of the Rock inside al-Aqsa complex in Jerusalem. (Reuters)
Through the two-state solution of peace effort between Palestine and Israel, the conflict can be resolved by the division of territory as has been endorsed by United Nations (UN). Palestine will be an independent state and have territories in West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.
Nevertheless, Israel has established a policy of Jewish settlement construction in some of these areas after the war in 1967. Israel also clearly wanted the Palestinians never to stand as an independent state and only become an autonomous region under their administration.
Therefore, UN has issued a resolution against the settlement construction by Israel in the conflict areas with the Palestinians. This resolution was adopted for the first time in 1979.
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