REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG – The head of Islamic Defenders Front, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, felt criminalized by Sukmawati and the West Java Police investigators. He said the material used on the police report was taken from his thesis while taking a master degree in a university in Malaysia.

"Sukmawati’s report was based on the results of my thesis while taking the master degree program. A thesis should not be confronted with a police report. It should be confronted with other thesis. I feel criminalized," said Rizieq to reporters after undergoing Zhuhur prayers at West Java Police’s Mosque on Thursday (12/1).

He said the report and the legal processes by investigators were unlawful. Therefore, he requested that the legal process were discontinued because it’s not in line with the existing rules. When the process is continued, it would be destructive for the structure of education in the country.

"I asked Sukmawati to revoke its report and I will forgive. The problem solved. She fails to understand the problem she reported to the police,“ he said.

Rizieq said there was no intention to insult the first president, Sukarno. In fact, he is one of the admirers of him. However, being an admirer does not mean that he is not allowed to criticize the people he admires.

He said he criticized Bung Karno’s view on Pancasila, especially on the principle of God which was taken at the end of the body or at the tail. The concept to take the Deity on the fifth place was also criticized by the founding fathers of the nation, especially by the ulema. 

"The criticism was accepted by Bung Karno, so the Deity was taken in the first point of Pancasila," he said.

Rizieq was interviewed by investigators since 10.00 am. The examination was paused at around 11:46 am to give him time to do a prayer. After that, Rizieq and his entourage had lunch together on the terrace of the mosque. After the lunch, the examination was continued.

Rizieq’s legal advisor, Munarwan, said the team would provide its client’s thesis to the investigators as a material for the case. He is sure that they would understand it. "The videotape which became the basis for the report is a thesis of Habib. The recording was taken for two hours, but then being cut by the complainant to become three minutes," said Munarman.

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