The demon in our midst

Its seems the demon so influential in our urban populations has been branching out into our rural areas with an alarming and extensive impact.

While many conscientious people in urban centers view the laser disc as the new Satan of the age of globalization, many rural ulemas find film to be no less dangerous a medium, especially for the rural people.

These Moslem scholars have raised their voices to warn that many of the films now shown in villages contain provocative bedroom scenes. It seems they fear the excesses such explicit presentation could provoke.

And if recent reports are any witness, their concern seems well founded. The latest example of the negative impact of the demon of pornography is the rape and murder of a college student in Bogor, 60 kilometers south of Jakarta. The man who admitted committing the rape to the police, said he attacked the young woman after seeing an obscene film at a movie house in the outskirts of the West Java town.

The ulemas in several parts of the country have complained stridently about such ugly realities. And some religious leaders in Surabaya have even threatened to wage war against any kind of immoral presentations. They want the authorities to curb the ongoing moral decay spread by the demon of pornography throughout the country before exorcism becomes impossible.

Minister of Information Harmoko has been quick in his positive reaction to the ulemas' outcry. He was quoted as saying on Wednesday that he would order the Film Censor Board to take the necessary steps to prevent the intrusion of alien cultural values into our society.

In fact, a great number of people from all walks of life and religions have been complaining about the liberal attitude the Film Censor Board has shown lately, especially toward local products, most of which not only lack quality, but flaunt vulgar scenes as well.

What apparently goaded the minister's prompt reaction might have been that this particular anti-pornography campaign is spearheaded by ulemas, whose influence among the predominantly Moslem populace is unquestionable because their moral judgments are made without pretension. In the wake of the ulemas' triumph against the SDSB lottery, their sincere and concerted moves against pornography have won them widespread public support.

Since the elimination of the lottery, which most people considered a destructive form of gambling, the overall trust in the ulemas on the part of Moslems, as well as of people from other segments of society, has significantly increased. Even officials have begun consulting them on many serious matters.

In light of this trend, it might not be inaccurate to say that the ulemas may win their war against pornography as well. This is not only because the authorities are paying more attention to their views, but because the public protests they lead usually are more effective than any other kind of manifestation of dissatisfaction.

Even the unscrupulous servants of the demon of pornography who have been profiting from the production and showing of vulgar films may find the combination of pressure from law enforcers and demonstrations led by concerned religious leaders too much to counter.

Although exactly what steps the minister plans to take are not yet very clear, it is an undeniable that the films of questionable content now showing in the rural areas have passed through the hands of our censors.

It appears that the members of the Film Censor Board must have lost their sensitivity. Clearly they are not fully aware of the people's feelings and have failed to take into consideration the psychological impact of the films they are passing on for viewing by our rural population.

The best thing to do now seems to be to change the current censorship policies. Indeed, the policy of openness has its positive aspects, but should we run the risk of letting the pollution of pornography and other destructive elements seep into our society to displace the moral values we need to provide a solid basis for our national development?

The world outside us has changed, and the products of high technology clearly will continue to find a market here. The purpose of the censors should be to see that the bad does not slip in with the good.

Perhaps it is time that the Film Censor Board took into consideration the religious attachments of our people and exorcised the demon they have let slip into every nook and cranny of our nation.