What hardline Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab's return means for Indonesian politics
14.12.2020
Indonesian police arrested firebrand Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab on Saturday on suspicion of violating coronavirus protocols after the staging of several mass gatherings since his return from self-exile in Saudi Arabia last month.
The arrest comes after six of his bodyguards were shot dead by police last week and raises further concerns about a boiling over of tensions between authorities and Islamist groups in the world’s biggest Muslim majority nation.
Who is Rizieq Shihab?
As head of the hardline Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI), Rizieq has for years cut a controversial figure in Indonesian politics.