Please Don't Take My FPI Away

It’s really frustrating how we are supposed to pardon their abrupt actions, yet whenever they’re on the other side of the coin, the whole world is on their case. No, I’m not talking about nagging girlfriends on PMS, I’m talking about the infamous Islamic Defenders Front or better known as FPI. For years, the so-called defenders of Islam have been a nuisance to the country. News of them raging in clubs, bars, and to other groups is as common as Arsenal’s futile challenge in the BPL for years. But then again, there seems to be no real actions to minimize their sometimes ruthless actions.

Calls of their disband have increased along with their unreasonable tantrum. Sure, that’s a logical response. Everyone of us wants, no, needs to feel safe and secure from what ever evil may lurk around the corner. The law even ensures that right by stipulating it in the Human Rights Law. But the constitution, our staatsgrundgesetz, also ensures each and every Indonesian citizen to gather and form organisations, embodying it in the Mass Organisation Law of 1985.

Disbanding mass organisations is not really an issue, at least historically. There were several organisations that were disbanded in the New Order regime, a couple were namely Indonesian Islamic Students (PII) and Young Marhaenist Movement (GPM). The respected organisations were disbanded because they were, according to the Domestic Affairs Minister at the time, not inline with the law. I find that a little troubling, bearing in mind the regime those organisations were in. But in sense, the government were merely exercising their sovereignty over the people. Then what about the case on FPI?

A troublesome lot they are, but no one seems to want to take any actions. All that our beloved –mind the sarcasm- president could address is for FPI to introspect their doings. Coming from a president that can only add more concern with his expression of concern, I am not surprised. But what about the police? Have they taken any actions towards FPI? What about the State Minister? Or even the Religion Minister?

A group, or should I say a tribe, finally had the guts to stand up to them. The Dayak tribe of Central Kalimantan stood up to those goons by rejecting their coming to the province. I can never see this happening in the State’s Capital for as long as we know, they’re bred here. But can the action of the Dayaks be accounted as legal? Have they betrayed the spirit of the constitution by intervening FPI’s right to gather?

In my previous article, I wrote an analogy about sovereignty. This case shows the perfect analogy for a sovereignty to be exercised. The most important thing about sovereignty is that it ends once it meets other sovereign entity. FPI’s sovereignty to gather and conduct their belief can be halted once it intrudes other people’s right. But wouldn’t we be intruding their right to gather?

Disbanding FPI, or other disturbing mass organization for that matter, is a never-ending debate. I say, let them be. At least for the time being. If they run havoc, treat each and one of them as criminal individuals. What’s so hard about taking care of a bunch of white-gowned goons? Oh, sorry, you need good police officers for this.

Having them in one place is better than having a bunch of anonymous people run amok. It is also easier for the government, assuming they are doing their job, to keep an eye of what the scoundrels are doing. Take what happened in England as an example, the government took their time & money to deradicalise young extremists in extremist groups. It’s only a matter of ability and willingness from the government.

Have them disbanded, be my guest. That won’t stop other groups, or even the disbanded group, to form another group. To add to this, the house of representative is discussing a a new Mass Organisation Bill. My take, instead of passing a law on mass organisations or even weed, pass a law that legalizes you to kill bigots and ignorant people.

The group’s as stubborn as a mule, I know. Their notorious violence is ironic to the name of the peaceful Islam. But that’s what you get with democracy, idiots running around expressing their deluded minds.