Gus Dur stands behind Inul

Gus Dur stands behind Inul

JAKARTA: Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has come
out in defense of Inul Daratista, the popular dangdut singer who
some religious leaders have criticized for her erotic style of
dancing.

Gus Dur, himself a Muslim cleric, said that those who
criticized Inul were misusing religious precepts as a pretext to
suppress freedom of expression.

He particularly singled out veteran dangdut singer Rhoma
Irama, who is known as the "king of dangdut" by his fans.

"Nobody has the right to curtail other people's creativity,"
he was quoted by Media Indonesia daily as saying. "Oma Irama
should not act like a king. We have to fight all attempts to
suppress freedom of expression."

Rhoma Irama, in his capacity as chairman of the Association of
Indonesian Dangdut Singers, summoned Inul to his office on Sunday
to convey the association's objections to her dancing style.

Officials from the Indonesian Ulemas Council earlier denounced
Inul's dancing as haram (forbidden under Islamic law) and called
for her to repent. --JP