Indonesian Muslims protest against governor

JAKARTA:  More than 200,000 Indonesian Muslims prayed in unison and chanted the Holy Qura'anic verses on Friday in the second major demonstration against Jakarta's Christian governor, as conservative groups push for his arrest for allegedly insulting Islam.

People in white Islamic robes and skullcaps packed out a massive park in the capital, with over 20,000 security personnel deployed to prevent a repeat of violence that erupted at the last protest against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, is being prosecuted for blasphemy over election campaign comments he made which have sparked widespread anger in the world´s most populous Muslim-majority country.

The case is seen in part as a test of religious tolerance in Indonesia, where a reputation for pluralism has been eroded by a surge in attacks on minorities, but critics say it is also about politics as the governor´s foes whip up anger to reduce his support. The decision to prosecute Purnama, Jakarta´s first non-Muslim governor for half a century and a member of the country´s tiny ethnic Chinese minority, has not been enough to quell anger and conservative groups are now demanding his arrest.

Protesters waved banners that read "jail Ahok" as they marched en masse through the city´s streets in the early hours to converge on the park, which surrounds the National Monument, a tall tower that looms over downtown Jakarta.