What the Jakarta riots were all about?

For the last week or so there have been news reports about an uproar among Indonesian Muslims over a speech that Jakarta governor Basuki (“Ahok”) Tjahaja Purnama made allegedly blaspheming the Koran.  None of them have told us exactly what the gentleman said, or why some Muslims consider it blasphemous.  Such coyness is not worthy of supposedly open and forthright news media.
But now we know.  The Nation’s report mentions “Al-Maidah 51”. Sura 5 of the Koran, Al-Ma’ida, “The Table”, verse 51, says (in A Yusuf Ali’s translation): “O ye who believe!  Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: they are friend and protectors of each other.  And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them.”  NJ Dawood translates this last part as “Whoever seeks their friendship shall become one of their number.”
Translating the translations, this verse warns Muslims not to befriend Jews and Christians, or they’ll be considered Jews and Christians themselves – and, by implication, apostates from Islam.  Mr Ahok is a Chinese Christian.  His offence lay in urging voters not to be deceived into voting against him by people misusing this verse.
The average layman may find it difficult to imagine how this can be considered blasphemy.  But super-sensitive Muslims who are touchy about their religion might think that Mr Ahok is advising Muslims to disregard a verse in the Koran.  Presumably if you’re not supposed to befriend Jews and Christians, you’re not supposed to vote for them, either.  Mr Ahok is saying, in effect, “It’s OK, folks, you can vote for me even though I’m a Christian.”
That so many people should get so excited over such a little thing highlights the perils of living in a world that has become so dominated by people who are both irrational and intemperate.  And I’m not talking just about Muslims.
Ye Olde Curmudgeon