Islam

Playboy Sparks Decency, Freedom Debate in Indonesia

By Jay Esteban
CWN News

CWNews.com – JAKARTA, Indonesia - A group of Muslim protesters is expressing outrage for one reason: the stopping of the Indonesian version of the Playboy magazine.

Since its debut last year, various groups have lambasted the publication, calling Playboy an icon of pornography and saying that it is defiling the morality of Indonesian culture.

Though the Indonesian version features fully clothed models, a renewed uproar surfaced when the first Muslim model Andhara posed on the premiere issue of the magazine. One violent protest forced the Playboy head office to move from Jakarta to Bali.

Masykuri Abdillah, vice chairman of the central board of the Muslim organization Nahdatul Ulama explains why Playboy may be guilty of violating indecency laws.

"Many Muslim people in Indonesia will protest it,” Abdillah said. “Playboy is an icon of pornography. Islam is very strict with the part of body that should be covered by dressing."

The Playboy controversy has caused considerable public debate over the drafting of an anti- pornography law. Some people are alarmed at the proposed restrictions on this democratic society.

They say if passed into law, the legislation may limit civil liberties, like freedom of the press. Public kissing would be punishable by five years, and any salacious display of images in the arts and media will also be banned.

Despite the numerous protests hurled against the Indonesian version of Playboy, this magazine remains popular. It is a staple in just about every major newsstand here in Jakarta.

Pastor Bigman Sirait, president of Reformata Tabloid, says many Christians agree with Muslims on the anti-pornography issue. But they want to preserve morality in Indonesian society without restricting civil liberties. Sirait says the most effective way for Christians to put a stop to Playboy is to limit demand.

"We couldn't prevent Playboy from publishing their magazines because we don't really have a law on that yet,” Sirait said. “They have been given permits to operate. We, Christians may not be protesting loudly in the streets. But silently, we have the alternative: don't buy."

The Playboy debate strikes at the heart of this young democracy. It forces Indonesians to decide what type of society they want to be: one that fully embraces freedom even if that means allowing distasteful negative influences, or a nation which imposes restrictions on civil liberties in order to preserve traditional standards of decency.

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