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Battleground Tweets

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Features

Battleground Tweets

Conservative and liberal Muslims in Indonesia are taking their fight for hearts and minds to Twitter. Is that good or bad?

Tweet 1a

To Muslim scholar Ulil Abshar Abdalla:
‘You seem to hate Islam so much’.

Tweet1b

‘In my opinion, there are many misunderstandings of Islam. I have an obligation to criticize them so that Islam won’t have a bad image’.

Tweet1c

‘It’s like the Islam that you project is always negative. I’m sure it’s just your incorrect, shallow and emotional interpretation’.

Tweet3

From Erwin Hutabarat, an activist from hard-line group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, commenting on the news about the large numbers of US soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

‘Black June for the US troops in Afghanistan (God willing it will go on like that…)’

Tweet2a

Commenting on film director Joko Anwar’s support of mixed congregations for Friday prayers in England:

‘Comment on politics and films as you please, but stay out of this issue. It’s about a prayer leader, not a random organization’s leader’.

Tweet2b

‘Men who are led by women in prayers and supporting female imams had better become ‘girly men’. Perhaps Joko Anwar will be a pioneer?’

Tweet10

From noted Muslim scholar Quraish Shihab:

‘Every nation has its own share of good and evil. Not all Jews are condemned, because only evil ones are condemned. The current Israel government deserves to be condemned. RT @megaprasetio Is it true that Jewish people are evil and Allah hates them?’

Tweet5

In Indonesia there’s an ongoing scandal involving pop star Nazril Irham who’s embroiled in a sex tape scandal. A Prosperous Justice Party executive said the party follows the tradition of people getting married as teenagers to help avoid pre-marital sex.

‘PKS (Prosperous Justice Party) = Prosperous Pedophile Goat’ (People who dislike conservative/radical Muslims refer to them as ‘goats’ because they grow beards.)

‘Sick!…. @detikcom: Getting married at an early age is a tradition, PKS isn’t afraid (its followers) will be caught in something like a porn video’.

Tweet11

‘In this year’s World Cup, we’re rooting for the Taliban. Who cares if it’s a country or not!’

Tweet14

‘He’s among those who will face a long, agonizing process of dying…RT @ersamardiah: Ulil. He tweeted that hijab is not obligatory for Muslim women and that hair is not aurat (part of the body that must be covered). Grrrr…’

Tweet15

Jakarta recently introduced rules creating gender specific lines for Trans Jakarta buses, claiming it is to prevent sexual harassment.

‘Expecting help from human rights and democracy groups to reject the separation of bus queues. Feels like we’re in Islamic country! LOL’.

Tweet16

‘Easy, babe, fighting brainless people isn’t worth it. RT @TantoDjuhartono Just heard how FPI destroyed a church in Bekasi. I swear to God, FPI, rather than destroying public facilities…..etc’.

 

Tweet17

‘Let there be a community of you who invite what is good, advocate righteousness, and forbid evil. These are the winners (QS 3:104) @rharavan Don’t be Ulil’s follower :)’.