Indonesian Group Denies Chairman Threatened Woman, Forced Hijab Removal

An Indonesian Islamic organization, Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Baru (GRIB) Jaya, has vehemently denied allegations that its chairman, Hercules Rosario Marshal, brandished a pistol and coerced a woman into removing her hijab. The organization's legal team has labeled these claims as fabricated news, intended to incite conflict.

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What we are reporting is the spread of false news and exaggerated news, such as the accusation that the chairman carried a pistol, threatened, removed the hijab, and others.

Wilson Colling, a member of GRIB Jaya's legal team, stated that the accusations, including the claims of a gun threat and forced hijab removal, are exaggerated and could potentially stir up issues related to Suku, Agama, Ras, dan Antargolongan (SARA), which refers to ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup relations. "It could become a SARA issue if we don't report it," Colling told reporters.

GRIB Jaya admitted to lacking CCTV footage to disprove the allegations, as their headquarters does not have surveillance cameras. However, they presented a witness: a neighborhood head (Ketua RW) who accompanied the accuser, Ilma Sani Fitriana, from her home to the GRIB Jaya office. According to GRIB Jaya, Ilma was in an open area and not in a closed room, and female GRIB officials were also present.

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It could become a SARA issue if we don't report it.

The organization also refuted claims of unlawful detention, calling the term "penyekapan" (kidnapping or unlawful confinement) an exaggeration. GRIB Jaya has filed a police report against Ilma for spreading false information, citing media links, social media posts, and her statements as evidence. The report is being processed under the Indonesian Criminal Code for disseminating false news.

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Sorry, indeed there is no CCTV at the GRIB Jaya Central Board office.

Previously, Ilma had filed her own reports against Hercules at the Polda Metro Jaya, accompanied by a coalition of Islamic organizations. She alleged that GRIB Jaya members forcibly took her and interrogated her at their headquarters. Ilma submitted two reports: one to the Women and Child Protection Unit and another to the Cyber Directorate.

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The word 'kidnapping' in our opinion is an exaggeration, and that is what we are reporting.