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Indonesia bans Hizbut group that seeks global caliphate

Indonesian Muslims shout "Allahuakbar!' (God is great) during a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Muslim hardliners staged the rally denouncing a decree signed by President Joko Widodo earlier this month that could give the the government almost unfettered power to ban radical groups it deems contrary to the country's constitution. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) Indonesian Muslims shout "Allahuakbar!' (God is great) during a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Muslim hardliners staged the rally denouncing a decree signed by President Joko Widodo earlier this month that could give the the government almost unfettered power to ban radical groups it deems contrary to the country's constitution. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

By Associated Press July 18, 2017 1 min read

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – The Indonesian government says it has banned Hizbut Tahrir, an organization that wants to establish a global caliphate, under a new presidential decree criticized as draconian by rights groups.

An official from the Ministry Justice and Human Rights announced on Wednesday that Hizbut’s legal status had been revoked in order to protect national unity.

The decree signed last week by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo gives the government almost unfettered power to ban organizations deemed against the constitution.

The measures follow months of sectarian tensions in Jakarta that shook the government and undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.