Schwarzenegger's `True Lies' finally banned
JAKARTA (JP): True Lies, the comedy-action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which has been playing to full houses for the past two weeks, will be removed from movie theaters tomorrow at the behest of the Film Censorship Board (BSF).
The Director General of Radio and Television of the Ministry of Information, Alex Leo Zulkarnain, announced the ban at his office yesterday, saying the decision was made after taking "people's aspirations" into account.
"If the film is allowed to continue, it is feared that it might destabilize and sow disharmony in society," Alex said.
The announcement ended two weeks of controversy over the screening of the film in the country's movie theaters.
Moslem leaders were split about the film. One camp suggested that True Lies insulted Islam while the other opposed their view, saying that all the attention they had given the film was undeserved publicity.
Talks of a possible ban have been in the air for the past week. Such fanfare has allowed the film, which has been rated by critics as mediocre at best, to become one of the best selling movies in Indonesia this year.
The censor board earlier defended its decision to pass the film, pointing out that a number of ulemas from the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) who sit on the board did not have any objections.
The MUI on Saturday appealed to authorities to withdraw the film because of the controversy it has generated. Its statement refrained from suggesting that the film was an affront to the religion.
Alex said the decision to ban the film was based on a plenary session of the board on Wednesday which was convened to review the film again in view of the recent development.
"It is the BSF's responsibility to monitor the impact of a film on the public," he said. "The board is obliged to respond to suggestions from the public." He acknowledged that the MUI's appeal was considered.
The film depicts an American hero, played by Schwarzenegger, who single-handedly foils a Middle Eastern terrorist group called the Crimson Jihad.
Jihad, an Arabic term meaning true fighter, is often used to describe those who fight for the cause of Islam, and it is this usage which has particularly offended some Moslem leaders.
This is the first time that a foreign film has been withdrawn after first being passed by the censor board. Several Indonesian films have also been subjected to this treatment in response to public criticism of their pornographic content.
BSF's 45 members review 50 film titles and TV series per day. Each is reviewed by five members and if they have any disagreements, another meeting is called before the full board.
Harassment
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher earlier yesterday said that if the film really contains elements insulting to Islam, then it is a form of harassment.
"We've heard of sexual harassment. This film is religious harassment," he told reporters just a few hours before the ban was announced.
He warned that although jokes or anecdotes about religions or clergymen are common in many countries, Indonesia, with its ethnic diversity, must be spared from the jokes because it is more sensitive about such issues.
Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, who has seen the movie, believed that withdrawing the film would help avert further controversies or problems. Moslems here are in a "special condition." When their sensitivity is heightened it is better for the authorities to heed their concerns, he said.
He said the film, whether intentional or not, contains elements which placed Islam at a disadvantage, turning it into a commodity or joke in order to attract viewers.
"There are films which make worse jokes about other religions, such as The Name of the Rose, but do not create this kind of furor," he said. (pwn/swe)