'We must be tolerant of different ideas'

The controversy over the participation of Indonesian woman Artika Sari Devi in the Miss Universe contest in Thailand continues, with some members of the religious right claiming that it is a disgrace to Indonesian culture and women. Predominantly Muslim Indonesia at one time banned all local beauty pageants and forbade citizens from competing in international pageants. The Jakarta Post asked residents for their thoughts on the issue.

Ambarwati, 30, is a shop assistant in the Blok M commercial district, South Jakarta. She lives in Ciputat, Tangerang:

Well, I can understand that the participation of Artika in the Miss Universe contest sparks controversy at home because Indonesia is a country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

As you know, pious Muslims believe that women are prohibited from showing their bodies, except for their faces and hands. I myself do not agree with Indonesia participating in such a contest for any reason.

I don't blame Artika and her sponsor who argue that we need to introduce Indonesia to other countries in a bid to boost tourism.

But I think there are still many ways to introduce Indonesian tourism to the world, such as participating in various sporting events. If our badminton players play in the final rounds of international events, millions of eyes will focus on the event.

Hendry, 22, is a student at the University of Indonesia. He lives in Depok, near his campus:

Miss Universe? Why not?

I think it is good for Indonesia to send a contestant. The international community will know Indonesia better because the contest is widely covered by mass media and the event is televised.

I think Artika's participation is free-of-charge advertisement for our tourism industry. We must support it.

But I can understand that Artika's participation sparks controversy. It is understandable because our society is very heterogeneous. The society is very diverse, from those who are religious to those who are very moderate.

Still, the most important thing is that we must be tolerant of different ideas.

--The Jakarta Post