Indonesian cleric urges Prabowo to send fighters to Gaza, ‘liberate’ Jerusalem mosque

Rizieq Shihab wants Indonesian youth to pick up arms against Israel in Gaza and East Jerusalem, where the holy Al-Aqsa mosque is located

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Indonesian Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab arrives in Jakarta from Saudi Arabia in 2020. Photo: AP

Published: 5:54pm, 3 Dec 2024

A firebrand cleric has called on President Prabowo Subianto to send Indonesian youth to Gaza to pick up arms against Israel and “liberate” one of Islam’s holiest shrines in Jerusalem.

Rizieq Shihab, the spiritual figurehead of the now-banned Islamic Defenders Front, said he backed a proposal from the chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema to sign up volunteers for waging jihad (holy war) in Palestine.

“Open registration, train them, arm them, and send them to Gaza to liberate Al-Aqsa,” Rizieq told a Jakarta rally on Monday, referring to the mosque which is part of East Jerusalem that Israel has occupied since the 1967 six-day war.

The site is also revered by Jews as a vestige of their two ancient temples.

Citing KH Muhyiddin Junaidi, head of Indonesia’s main Islamic scholar body, Rizieq said the plan was submitted to Prabowo for approval.

“I agree with KH Muhyiddin. It’s extraordinary that he proposed to President Prabowo to open registration for Indonesian youth to go to Palestine,” Rizieq said in a speech to mark the eighth anniversary of mass protests that ousted Jakarta’s Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama who was jailed for blasphemy.