ITS Questions Lecturers in Connection with Pro-HTI Social Media Post

The 10 November Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya, East Java, has questioned three of its lecturers for allegedly supporting the disbanded Islamist group, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI).

The ITS administrators questioned the three lecturers, Daniel M. Rosyid, Andi Rahmadiansah and Lukman Noerochim, after they appeared in a photograph that circulated on social media along with posts expressing support for HTI while slamming the group’s disbandment.

The ITS ensured that the lecturers’ views were personal and did not represent the institution, because the university had an obligation to abide by all government policies and regulations.

“The ITS is currently questioning the three lecturers in accordance with regulations,” ITS rector Joni Hermana said on Tuesday in a press statement. “The ITS is consistent in following the stance and all decisions of the government,” it said.

Daniel denied all allegations, kompas.com reported.

Some social media posts contained the #DukungHTIuntukIslam (Support HTI for Islam) and #HTILayakMenang (HTI should have won) hashtags, the latter referring to the Jakarta State Administrative Court’s (PTUN) decision on Monday to uphold the government ban on the group.

The court rejected on Monday a petition HTI sympathizers filed to challenge the government’s July 2017 decision to disband the group and revoke its legal entity status, as its activities went against the Pancasila state ideology.

The court’s ruling sparked another wave of debate on social media, reflected in the trending Twitter hashtags.

The HTI’s supporters have urged the group to file an appeal and have labeled those who did not support HTI as people “who are against God”. Meanwhile, the anti-HTI camp called HTI a radical group and argued that the state did not need HTI.

Courtesy : Thejakartapost
Photo : Geotimes

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