FPI Threatens ‘Serious Action’ Over Film

FPI Threatens ‘Serious Action’ Over Film

A hard-line Islamic group has threatened to demonstrate outside the headquarters of a TV station on Saturday over its plans to air a controversial film.

Habib Salim Alatas, the leader of the Jakarta wing of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), claimed approximately 1,500 of its members would gather outside the SCTV offices to demand it cancel all plans to air the film on Takbir night.

The film by director Hanung Bramantyo, called “?”, studies the role and state of Islam in modern Indonesian society. The FPI’s goal is to establish Shariah law and it has used violent methods in the past.

“We do not understand why SCTV is willing to air ‘?’, while the Indonesian Council of Ulema [MUI] has clearly said the movie damages Islamic values and morale,” Alatas said.

The MUI issued a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, in April forbidding Muslims from watching the film, claiming it propagated the idea that there are paths to God other than Islam.

Alatas said SCTV knew people opposed the film, adding that it was not just the FPI. Other organizations affiliated with the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI) would join the campaign, he said.

“We will go to the SCTV studio in the afternoon and we will not leave until the SCTV staff comes outside and gives us assurances that they will not air the film,” he continued. “If SCTV still airs it, we will take serious action.”

He said his group had sent a letter outlining its proposed protest to the Jakarta Police.

SCTV spokesman Uki Hastma said the station would take time to listen to the FPI but added that no decisions had yet been made about whether or not to screen the controversial film.

“I cannot say yet what other steps we will take. That will be decided after talks with the FPI,” Uki said.

The award-winning Hanung, who is known for exploring religion’s role in modern society in his movies, said he hoped SCTV would not give in to the FPI.

“As a television station, SCTV can only be controlled by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission [KPI],” Hanung said, adding that the station could lose its credibility if it backed down.

“If SCTV gives in to the FPI’s demands, it will lose its credibility. I believe that SCTV will not risk their credibility easily.”

The enigmatically titled “?”, is a study of the role and state of Islam in modern Indonesian society. Released in April, the film stirred up heated debate and protests long before it ever reached a projection room or was shown in movie theaters.

A group called Banser, which operates as the youth wing of the country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, has been among the more vocal critics of “?” in the run-up to its launch.

The group objected to a scene in which young Banser recruits are seen being paid to perform tasks that would normally be in direct breach of a good Muslim’s duty to be charitable.

FPI to Besiege SCTV Studio Over Controversial '?' Film

FPI to Besiege SCTV Studio Over Controversial '?' Film

The Islamic Defenders Front has plans to besiege the SCTV studio in Jakarta on Saturday for its plans to air the controversial “?” film on Takbir night.

Habib Salim Alatas, the Jakarta Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader, claimed approximately 1,500 of its members were going to gather outside the SCTV premises and demand it cancel all plans to air the film.

“We do not understand why SCTV is willing to air "?", while the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) has clearly said the movie damages Islamic values and morale,” he said.

The film "?", by Hanung Bramantyo, is a study of the role and state of Islam in modern Indonesian society.

However, Hanung's bold portrayal of the religion has caused many critics and hard-line followers of the faith to call it blasphemous.

MUI issued a religious edict in April forbidding Muslims from watching the movie, saying “?” implied it was alright to abandon Islam since it showed the alternative paths to God.

Alatas said SCTV knows that demands were made for Mahaka Pictures to prohibit the controversial movie.

He added that the FPI would not leave the SCTV studio until they promised to take “?” off air.

He said the group has sent a letter outline their proposed protest to the Jakarta Police.

“If SCTV still airs “?”, we will take serious action,” he said.

SCTV spokesman Uki Hastma said the station would take time to listen to FPI.

"However, I cannot say yet what other steps we will take. That will be decided after we talk with FPI," Uki said.

Playboy Editor's Release 'a Victory For Press Freedom’

Playboy Editor's Release 'a Victory For Press Freedom’

The former editor of the short-lived Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine has said his release from prison marks a victory for press freedom in the country.

Erwin Arnada was released on Friday afternoon from East Jakarta’s Cipinang Penitentiary, where he had been detained since October for public indecency.

“My release is proof that freedom of the press in Indonesia is still respected, and I hope there will be no other journalists prosecuted as I have been under the Criminal Code,” he said outside the prison’s gates, where he brandished the official order for his release and donned a T-shirt reading: “Journalism is not a crime.”

“I do not feel that I have become a victim or a hero. I feel that I have become part of Indonesian history in fighting for freedom of the press. And I believe the statement on my T-shirt explains more than what I just said.”

Muslim hard-liners pressed charges of public indecency against Erwin in 2007, shortly after the launch of the local version of Playboy, which did not feature nudity. He was later acquitted by the South Jakarta District Court, which ruled that it should be dealt with through the Press Law and not the Criminal Code.

However, on appeal, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling in 2009 and sentenced Erwin to two years in jail. In May, however, the court overturned its own ruling — although an official copy of the decision only reached Todung Mulya Lubis, Erwin’s lawyer, this week.

Todung said he appreciated the court’s latest verdict. “This is not only a victory for Erwin Arnada, but also a victory for Indonesian press freedom,” he said.

“We also want to thank the Supreme Court for its commitment to enforcing the Press Law as a lex specialis law,” he added, referring to the legal doctrine that states specific laws cannot be overridden by general legislation.

Erwin said he would not file a lawsuit against the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which first pressed charges against him.

“The one thing I want to say about the FPI sending me to jail is that my parents taught me to be forgiving instead of being slanderous,” he said. “I just hope that my reputation can be rehabilitated. However, I understand that it will take some time and we will keep trying to work on it.”

Erwin also said he would go back into the publishing business, but headed off any talk about reviving Playboy Indonesia, citing security concerns.

He said his immediate plan was to visit his mother’s grave.

Confronted With Litany of Violence, Journalists Ask for End to Impunity

Confronted With Litany of  Violence, Journalists Ask for End to Impunity

The safety of journalists in this country must be guaranteed and the impunity of perpetrators of violence against them ended, activists demanded on Tuesday. 

Margiono, an advocacy coordinator for the Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI), said that from the 651 cases of violence against media professionals in Indonesia between 2000-2010, only five cases were brought to court and only one of these was handled properly. 

“In order to have the violence against media professionals handled correctly by police, we need to increase solidarity among journalists and keep an eye on the investigations,” Margiono told a panel discussion in Jakarta. 

The cases of violence, he added, ranged from persecution and intimidation to murder. He added that journalists demanded no special treatment but that the law be upheld at all times. 

“We just want cases [of violence against journalists] handled properly, just like any other case, and the perpetrators must be prosecuted for such violations,” he said. 

According to Margiono, journalists are defacto defenders of human rights, so their safety is crucial. 

A spokesman for the National Police, Insp. Gen. Anton Bahrul Alam, said that cooperation among the police, the Press Council and journalistic organizations was necessary to speed up investigations into violence against the media. 

Denny Indrayana, a member of the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force, said the problem with cases in which journalists were murdered was that the killing was usually ordered by powerful and rich individuals or corporations . 

He said the main difficulty in unraveling such murder cases is that they often involve “people with power and money.” 

“Therefore, I would not be surprised to find it is [always] difficult to bring journalists’ murder cases to a good conclusion,” Denny said, adding that power and money go a long way in providing impunity to the perpetrators. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Darmono said that freedom of the press needed to go hand in hand with a responsible attitude. 

“We should be happy that in Indonesia there is freedom of the press,” he said. 

“However, this press freedom needs to be accompanied by a sense of responsibility toward science, the law and the community, because the media is supposed to be reporting facts,” Darmono added.