In Indonesia’s capital, voters oust renowned Christian politician in show of Islamist power

Washington Post ^ | 4/19/2017 | Jon Emont

[simpson96]

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Jakarta’s first Christian governor in generations lost his re-election bid on Wednesday, according to unofficial results, after a heated sectarian campaign that underscored the influence of hard-line Islamists in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

Although the results were not final, early counts showed a decisive victory for Anies Baswedan, a Muslim candidate whose supporters portrayed the race as a referendum on the power of Islam in shaping the politics of Indonesia’s capital.(snip)

The incumbent governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, was known for tough anti-corruption drives and challenges to hard-line Muslim groups that have taken on an increasingly central role in Indonesian politics. Comments he made last year led to charges of blasphemy that hung over the campaign. His blasphemy trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday; if convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

[BenLurkin]

“Islam preaches tolerance.”

[2ndDivisionVet]

[Leaning Right]

> Jakarta’s first Christian governor in generations lost his re-election bid on Wednesday <

He’s lucky he lost just the election, and not his life as well. After all, he is an infidel.

[libh8er]

Or lost just parts of his body.

[353FMG]

>Jakarta’s first Christian governor in generations lost his re-election bid<

No surprise — I never understood how Muslim Indonesia elected a Christian governor of their capital.

[ChicagahAl]

Karl Marx was one of the few political writers who liked Democracy.

He said that he liked Democracy because it is only one step away from Totalitarianism.

He was right. Always.

Which begs the question: Why were George W Bush, and other REPUBLICANS, trying to establish Democracy in third-world countries?

[dfwgator]

Turkey’s gone hardline Islamist, and it appears Indonesia isn’t far behind.