A reported plan to publish and distribute an Indonesian version of the American adult magazine Playboy sparked debate on Friday in the world's most populous Muslim country.
"We totally reject the Indonesian version of Playboy
because it will ruin the country's morals," Fauzan al-Anshari, a senior
official of the Indonesian Mujahiddin Council, an organisation led by
jailed cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, said.
According to a report by the online news service Detik.com, the Indonesian version of the magazine, which features photographs of nude women, is to be launched in March.
Al-Anshari
cited illegal pornography DVDs and tabloids that can be found
throughout the country as evidence of Indonesian authorities' failure
to restrict the distribution of adult media.
"It will only
exploit women's bodies," al-Anshari said, adding that the council will
lead a protest if the magazine is published. "It is OK for Western
countries but not here, where most of the people are Muslim."
Almost
90 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are Muslim, but the
majority of the population practices a moderate form of Islam, and some
defended the magazine's right to publish.
Media observer Veven
S.P. Wardhana said the publisher had a right to produce and distribute
Indonesian Playboy and added that Indonesians will criticize but still
buy the magazine.
"Indonesian people are hypocrites," Wardhana told Detik.com. "They will verbally reject it, but they will silently buy it."
Others said they would like to see the content modified to better suit Indonesian culture and values.
"I disagree if the design for the Indonesian version of Playboy will be just like in the (United) States," Yoyoh Yusroh, a member of the Indonesian parliament, was quoted as saying by Detik.com. "That doesn't suit our culture. I will ask other members to protest."