Dailami Firdaus, chairman of the As-Syafi'iyah Islamic Education Foundation, strongly condemned an alleged Quran recitation challenge that offered alcoholic beverages as prizes at The Sounds Project music concert in Ancol, North Jakarta. Firdaus, who is also a senator at the Regional Representative Council from DKI Jakarta, said that if the facts were proven true, such action would constitute a form of insult to religious symbols and values that cannot be tolerated.
"This is deeply concerning and should not be dismissed as a joke or merely a creative idea for an event," Firdaus said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday (11 August 2026). He stressed that the Quran is a sacred text that must be placed and respected as it should be, and said using alcoholic beverages as a prize in a Quran recitation challenge is highly inappropriate conduct.
Firdaus called on law enforcement authorities together with the Indonesian Council of Ulama to immediately investigate the facts, including the identities of the organisers, parties involved, the purpose of the activity, and how the activity could take place. "It must be thoroughly investigated. Do not stop at an apology or clarification on social media," he said, adding that if intentional elements to mock religion are found, there must be strict sanctions in accordance with applicable legal provisions.
Firdaus also called on DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung to evaluate the supervision system for activities in the Ancol area. According to him, PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, as the area manager, has the responsibility to ensure that activities taking place do not violate regulations and do not cause problems regarding religious sensitivities.
The incident began when a music festival visitor shared their experience on social media after witnessing a beverage booth holding a recitation challenge of Surah Ad-Duha with a bottle of alcoholic drink as the prize. The video went viral and drew considerable criticism, with social media users regarding the use of sacred Quranic verses as unethical for promotional purposes.
