He left Indonesia 3? years ago under a cloud of infamy that included a pornography charge and accusations of an extramarital affair. He returned from self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia last month and was greeted like a conquering hero.
The fiery Muslim cleric Rizieq Shihab has targeted Indonesia¡¯s secular democracy for decades, using his vigilante group, the Islamic Defenders Front, to vandalize bars, persecute rival sects and attack gay and lesbian events. Now Rizieq is calling for a renewed ¡°moral revolution¡± to push Indonesia toward a more conservative vision of Islam.
He has emerged as President Joko ¡°Jokowi¡± Widodo¡¯s most formidable foe, with an influential base of tens of thousands of followers demanding political change. His supporters say he¡¯s defending Islam in a Muslim-majority country run by corrupt, amoral leaders. His detractors say he is an instigator who is spreading both hate and the coronavirus.
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