November 2016 Jakarta protests

November 2016 Jakarta protests (also called Protests defending the Quran or 4 November protests) refer to a mass protest which took place on 4 November 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was attended by an estimated 50,000–200,000 protesters, and was aimed against the Governor of Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (popularly known as "Ahok"), for an alleged blasphemy of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. A counter protest led by government officials and social activists in support of interfaith unity was led on November 30.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known by his Chinese nickname "Ahok", became the Governor of Jakarta, when as Vice-Governor, he took over from Joko Widodo, who was elected President of Indonesia in 2014. He is Jakarta's first ethnic Chinese governor, and the first non-Muslim in 50 years. His ethnicity and Christian faith make him a double-minority in Muslim-majority Indonesia. He sought to be elected in his own right in the 2017 gubernatorial election. Some Islamic groups opposed his campaign, citing a passage of the Quran, notably verse 51 of Sura Al Maidah, which they interpret as a prohibition on Muslims from electing a non-Muslim leader.

On 27 September 2016, in a speech in front of citizens of Thousand Islands, he noted that some citizens would not vote for him because they are being "deceived using Verse 51 of Al Maidah and other things," referring to a verse that some groups have cited as grounds to oppose him. The provincial government of Jakarta uploaded the video recording to YouTube in a channel which often features Basuki's activities. Citizens and pundits criticised Basuki's statement, considering it an insult to the Quran. Another video was uploaded by a man named Buni Yani, who edited the video in a way that changed the meaning of Ahok's words. In the original video, Ahok says, "Ladies and gentlemen […] you have been deceived by the use of Al Maidah 51 [of the Quran]", while in the accompanying texts, Buni wrote, "Ladies and gentlemen [Muslim voters] have been deceived by Al Maidah 51."

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