10,000 Attend Wedding of Indonesian Islamic Leader's Daughter... 4 Million Won COVID Fine Imposed

Muslim Leader Publicly Invites to Religious Event and Daughter's Wedding
Citizens Criticize "Public Gathering in This Situation... Government Accepted It"
Jakarta "Fines for Those Without Masks... Warning Issued to Organizers"

Supporters gathered at the event hosted by Shihab in Bogor on the 13th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Around 10,000 people gathered at a religious event combined with the wedding of the daughter of a hardline Islamic leader in Indonesia. The organizers were fined approximately 4 million won for violating COVID-19 health guidelines.

According to the daily Kompas on the 16th, Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), hosted a celebration for the Prophet Muhammad's birthday (Maulid) and the wedding of his fourth daughter on the night of the 14th at his home in Petamburan, Jakarta.

Shihab is regarded as a hero among hardline Muslims and played a leading role in the 2016-2017 arrest of the then Jakarta governor of Chinese Christian descent, accusing him of blasphemy against Islam.

After coming under investigation for charges including obscene chatting, Shihab stayed in Saudi Arabia for three and a half years and returned to Jakarta on the 10th of this month, displaying his power as thousands welcomed him at the airport. Currently, his every word attracts public and political attention.

On the 10th, thousands of Shihab supporters gathered at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. / Yonhap News

Shihab sent an open invitation for the event, stating that anyone could participate without a limit on the number of attendees. The Islamic Defenders Front set up tents around Shihab’s residence and prepared facilities such as restrooms and ambulances to accommodate over 10,000 people.

Jakarta police, notified by the group, arranged traffic measures around Shihab’s home but did not block the event. On the wedding day, many supporters gathered without observing social distancing, and some were noticeably not wearing masks.

Jakarta citizens watching the broadcast criticized the event. They said, "Large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) should apply equally to everyone," and "Restaurants must operate at 50% capacity and there are many unemployed, yet Shihab hosts a mass gathering and the government accepts it," expressing their condemnation.

On the 14th, about 10,000 supporters gathered for Shihab's daughter's wedding and religious event. Photo by Tempo

Jakarta authorities imposed a fine of 50 million rupiah (about 4 million won) on Shihab’s side the day after the event and warned that repeated violations of health guidelines would result in doubling the fines.

The authorities announced that 17 people who did not wear masks at the event were fined, and 19 were physically sanctioned. Doni Monardo, chairman of the government’s COVID-19 mitigation committee, praised the fines, stating, "The Jakarta provincial government never authorized the event."

In response, citizens continued strong criticism, saying, "What use is a fine after the event is over?" and "The Jakarta governor is cautious of Shihab, who helped with his election."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.