AntaraSerang (ANTARA) - Popular Islamic preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar has called on all Muslims in Indonesia to maintain Islamic and national brotherhood as well as to avoid rifts over different political preferences in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
On the contrary, all Indonesian Muslims must maintain unity, family ties, and brotherhood.
"Do not let the presidential elections disrupt our family ties and brotherhood. Do not allow Indonesian Muslims to become disunited due to their different choices in the presidential elections," he noted in Serang on Tuesday.
Speaking at an event to celebrate the Isra' Mi'raj, or Ascension of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), at Al Bantani Grand Mosque here, he explained that it was common to have different political preferences but preserving Islamic and national brotherhood was the most important of all.
"Whoever becomes the next Indonesian president, this is indeed God's will," the founder of Daarut Tauhiid Islamic Boarding School, popularly known as Aa Gym, stated in his preaching to thousands of Muslims attending the commemorative event.
Aa Gym also urged the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) to maintain integrity and honesty in convening the elections, while security personnel, assigned to safeguard this democratic process, were called on to not function as parts of "players."
"If the related authorities fail to act as fair referees, everything that had been attempted will become futile," he remarked, adding that unfair elections will also result in trillions of rupiah, spent to finance this fiesta of democracy, becoming meaningless.
In connection with the convening of the parliamentary and presidential elections on Apr 17, Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has set a target of achieving a participation rate of at least 77.5 percent of the total number of eligible voters that the KPU pegs will reach at least 192 million.
This targeted participation rate is higher than 71 and 74 percent respectively recorded in the 2009 and 2014 general elections. Indonesia experienced a high participation rate of 84 percent in the 2004 general elections.
Translator: Mulyana, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Eliswan Azly
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