The Indonesian leader’s rightward shift is propelling him toward victory and pushing the country in a far different direction different than he once promised. Five years ago, Joko Widodo’s presidential campaign highlighted his love of heavy metal music, wooing young, urban voters with his secularism. Images emerged on the internet of him with a guitar gifted by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. But now, the president known as ”Jokowi” is seeking reelection, and his team is showcasing his Islamic piety instead. They’re even bringing the media along when he attends Friday prayers. The shift risks costing him the support of secular young voters and minorities who brought him to power in 2014. Yet a week before Indonesia’s presidential elections, the strategy appears to be working — thanks to an unlikely new set of supporters: Conservative Muslims. |