Offended by Ahok's Statement

THE reaction to this week's Tempo.co poll was almost as sharp as the November 4 demonstration. The issue was the same: Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) mentioned the Qur'anic verse Al-Maidah 51 on choosing a leader.There were 18,535 respondents who answered the question, "Are you offended by Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama's comment relating to the verse Al-Maidah 51? The result: 66.3 percent said "Yes, we're offended."

Ahok is perceived to have touched a subject that he should not have meddled with. The public does not see the difference between the statements 'Al-Maidah is deceiving the public' or 'Person/s are using Al-Maidah to deceive the public'. Both statements have aroused the anger of the people.