Major antiporn protests hit several big cities
Major antiporn protests hit several big cities
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thousands of Muslims staged separate protests on Monday in
several cities across the country, urging authorities to take
firm action against pornographic products.
Some protest groups demanded the death penalty for porn
producers and distributors.
The protests, which took place in at least 10 cities including
Bandung, Semarang, Jambi, Padang, Pekanbaru, Pontianak, Medan,
Cirebon, Palembang and Samarinda, involved supporters of the
Muslim-based Justice Party (PK).
The rallies followed the recent circulation of copies of
pornographic VCDs featuring two Indonesian students from Bandung,
West Java. The copies have sparked widespread condemnation from
Muslims and other community groups across the nation.
In Bandung, some 500 women wearing Muslim head veils marched
to the province's legislative body demanding West Java Governor
Nuriana eradicate porn publications.
"Porn VCDs, magazines and tabloids are easily found every
where because officials have not been firm and the rules are not
clear," said Diah Nurwitasari, a protest leader.
The protesters said they were concerned over the fact that
porn products were not only used by men, but also housewives,
including those who usually attended religious sermons.
"We know this when the VCDs showing intimate relations by the
two students in Bandung hit the market. We were very shocked when
we discovered Muslim mothers have also appreciated them," Diah
said.
In Medan, around 100 women staged a protest at the North
Sumatra legislative council, expressing similar concerns over the
spread of porn products throughout the country.
"Pornography must be wiped out because it becomes a serious
threat to the building of the nation's morality," said a
statement issued during the protest.
The teenage protesters declared an "open war" in the
predominantly Muslim nation against those offering sex as a
public commodity.
In Cirebon, protesters burned porn print products outside the
city's mayoralty office. Local Mayor Lasmana Suriatmaja joined
the rally and led the burning.
In Jambi, woman protesters demanded that the provincial
authorities ban the media from publishing porn articles or
photos.
In Palembang, protesters from the Forum for Anti-Pornographic
Moslems (Formap) set ablaze tabloids, magazines and newspapers
carrying porn pictures.
Female Muslims in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, slammed local
authorities for refusing to take firm actions against
pornography.
"We demand the security forces take concrete action in
eradicating pornography in this region," said protest coordinator
Laila Asri.
In Semarang, protesters demanded that porn dealers be
sentenced to death in order to save the nation's future from
destruction.
"We demand that the government revoke the license of the media
found guilty of involvement in porn cases," said Dyah Woro,
coordinator of the protest at the capital city of Central Java.
They also called on the people to jointly fight pornography to
protect the nation's morality.
Similar protests were also staged in the West Sumatra capital
of Padang, Pekanbaru in Riau and Samarinda in East Kalimantan.
The rallies came only days before the holy fasting month of
Ramadhan begins on Nov. 17.