Censor board told to review `True Lies'

Censor board told to review `True Lies'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko has asked the
Film Censorship Board (BSF) to review its decision to release the
action-comedy film True Lies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in
view of an appeal by Moslem leaders to stop its screening.

"I leave the matter entirely to the BSF because we have to
respect the board as an institution," Harmoko, whose portfolio
includes supervising the board, was quoted by the Antara news
agency as saying yesterday.

He added that the board plans to hold a plenary meeting to
discuss the appeal from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). "The
board obviously has to respect suggestions from outside."

The MUI on Saturday appealed to the authorities to stop the
screening of the film because of the public controversy it has
generated, particularly among Moslem leaders.

The council, in a statement issued after a plenary meeting to
discuss the film, refrained from stating that the film was an
insult to Islam as suggested by a number of Moslem leaders.

The film tells about an American hero, played by
Schwarzenegger, foiling an attempt by a Middle East terrorist
group called Crimson Jihad to discredit the United States. Jihad
is Arabic for a true fighter, a term often used to describe those
who fight for the Moslem cause.

A number of ulemas, including one from MUI who also sits on
the censorship board, have said that the film does not denigrate
Islam.

The 45-member censorship board, which comprises religious
leaders, government officials and public figures, earlier this
year banned the screening of the Oscar winning film Schindler's
List amidst objections from some Moslem leaders who viewed it as
Zionist propaganda. The board said that the decision to ban the
film was because it contained too much violence and nudity.

Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher meanwhile said
that the controversy over the film showed the need to expand the
participation of ulemas in the censorship board.

"If only two ulemas are involved in censoring a film,
obviously it is not enough. There ought to be five
representatives from religious organizations to screen a film,"
Tarmizi was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying yesterday.

The MUI in its statement on Saturday also said that it was
reviewing its participation in the censorship board in view of
the controversy over True Lies. Observers took this to mean that
the two ulemas now sitting on the board would be replaced.

Harmoko, according to Antara, suggested that MUI's plan to
review its participation is incorporated with the government's
present proposal to revamp the board into an institute. (emb)