Widely spread footage of a Muslim preacher telling his audience at a mosque in Surakarta, Central Java, that voting for President Joko Widodo is haram has sparked concern about political sermons at houses of worship ahead of the 2019 election.
In the video, Sugi Nur Raharja began his sermon by saying that it was only natural for Muslims to use mosques to talk politics in election years.
“At the time of Prophet [Muhammad], the mosque was the place to settle all kinds of problems, from businesses to politics. ”
He went on to make a case against voting for Jokowi, who he said had failed as president, asking the people attending his sermon that they could leave the mosque if they supported the incumbent.
Source: Jakarta Post