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Tobacco farmers protest fatwa plan on smoking
The Jakarta Post | Fri, 08/29/2008 7:25 PM | National
East Javanese tobacco farmers visited the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Surabaya branch on Friday to protest the fatwa body's plan to declare smoking forbidden according to Islamic teachings.
"We are protesting MUI's plan to issue a fatwa declaring smoking as haram," Tobacco Farmers Association chairman Amin Subarkah said, as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com.
Subarkah said it was unfair to make a smoking haram on the basis that it could be bad for some people. In fact, he said, forbidding smoking would only cause pain and suffering to tobacco farmers and their families.
"There are 1,367 tobacco factories in East Java, employing thousands of workers," Subarkah said.
According to the association, tobacco farmers in East Java supply 53 percent of the country's total tobacco consumption with a total investment value worth Rp 682 billion.
MUI Surabaya head Ulama Abdussomad Bukhori told the farmers to relax and to continue their work planting tobacco as the plan was still being debated by Islam scholars within the fatwa body.(and)
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A.yudhak (not verified) — Thu, 09/04/2008 - 11:53pm
To put this into some perspective, the battle to control tobacco is not only at the forefront of MUI only, it's been there in the UN already! the G8 country them selves are struggling on this...if MUI wishes to get on board and join the current up to date movement , it's up to them...and it's up to us where should we stand.
I'm with you! but you should be very very very careful, do you have any idea how to replace or provide alternatives on their employment??
and, this is not an idea that came from the dark ages! i think all of us are living in the modern era already...
Mr. ed (not verified) — Wed, 09/03/2008 - 1:37pm
Whatever. they need to focus their energy on better things.
Ketti (not verified) — Wed, 09/03/2008 - 10:38am
As far as I know, Islam does not make a smoking as 'haram' but 'mubah'. So Islam teachings never forbid people to smoke. Talking about tobacco could be bad for some people, so what the different from other kinds of food we daily consumed, such as the halal food. God Almighty allow us to consume any kinds of food except the haram foods such as pork and wild animal meat. For example, beef or salt. When we too many consume both kinds of food, we might be getting high blood that cause bad for our health. Then, also, too much smoking might cause cancer, some doctors analyzed that smoking is one of the factors that cause deadly cancer. It means that any things or foods we consume too much would be no good for ourselves. Even, some ulamas said that any things we consume too much will be "haram". Then, why Islam teachings do not forbid beef and salt? It is because Only God who knows whether something is bad or good for us. Finally back to the main point, MUI should be careful making its plan of fatwa on smoking forbidden and try to avoid any possibilities that make moslems people confuse, because MUI is the main institution where Indonesian moslem refer. If MUI has the basic and accurate datas that mentions a smoking is 'haram', MUI should prove it accurately to all tobacco farmers.
Brien (not verified) — Sat, 08/30/2008 - 5:30pm
Grow up! Start acting like mature intelligent adults who can think for themselves,instead of following primitive and ignorant dictums from ultra conservative men who insist on living in the past dark ages somewhere in the desert.
Hadrian (not verified) — Sat, 08/30/2008 - 11:28am
Whilst I sympathise with the tobacco farmers, their claim that "forbidding smoking would only cause pain and suffering to the tobacco farmers" pales into insignificance compared with the great "pain and suffering" of hundreds of thousands who will die or become seriously ill as a result or smoking. Consider also the many wives and children impacted by the death of their breadwinners and fathers.
Australian tobacco farmers were all forced to give up growing tobacco but most discovered new and more profitable crops.
Irrespective of whether MUI declares smoking as haram, in the interests of protecting the health and well being of all Indonesians, there is a clear case for Government taking the lead by helping the tens of millions adicted to tobacco - yes, it is a drug of adiction - and to discourage the young from ever taking up smoking.
Irrespective of the MUI deliberations, the peoples health and welfare should require no debate or deliberation - the evidence is abundant.
Tobacco farmers could make a greater contribution to society by growing food.
Dave Jasit (not verified) — Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:54pm
It's about time Islam declared smoking "haram"! We followers of Isa believe that our bodies are the "temple of the Holy Spirit" of God (I Corinthians 6:19) therefore anything that hurts the body is automatically "haram". To the farmers who are dependant on revenues from tobacco crops, I say, "trust Allah" and He will provide for all your needs in a proper and "halal" way!