Indonesian clerics want rules for Facebook

Indra Harsaputra and Niniek Karmini ,  Associated Press   |  Thu, 05/21/2009 2:52 PM  |  National

Muslim clerics are seeking ways to regulate online behavior in Indonesia, saying the exploding popularity of social networking sites like Facebook could encourage illicit sex.

Around 700 clerics, or imams, gathered in the world's most populous Muslim nation on Thursday were considering guidelines forbidding their followers from going online to flirt or engage in practices they believe could encourage extramarital affairs.

Facebook says Indonesia, a nation of 235 million, was its fastest-growing country in Southeast Asia in 2008, with a 645 percent increase to 831,000 users - outpacing China and India. And with less than 0.5 percent of Indonesia's citizens wired, there is a huge potential for growth.

"The clerics think it is necessary to set an edict on virtual networking, because this online relationship could lead to lust, which is forbidden in Islam," said Nabil Haroen, a spokesman for the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school, which is hosting the event.

Though followers could still be members of the networking site, guidelines dealing with surfing the Web and Islamic values are urgently needed, he said.

Facebook officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ninety percent of Indonesians are Muslim, though most practice a moderate form of the faith.

An edict by the clerics would not have any legal weight. But it could be endorsed by the influential Indonesian Ulema Council, which recently issued rulings against smoking and yoga. Most devout Muslims adhere to the council's rulings because ignoring a fatwa, or religious decree, is considered a sin.

Amidan, who heads the Ulema Council, said the growing number of Facebook users in Indonesia was a controversial subject among Muslim leaders and that he favored a ban because of possible sexual content.

"People using Facebook can be driven to engage in distasteful, pornographic chatting," said Amidan, who was monitoring the two-day conference in the town of Kediri, in eastern Java.

Many clerics are concerned that "inappropriate content" on Facebook could be accessed by children, said Amidan, who, like many Indonesians, goes by a single name.

Facebook is the top ranked site in Indonesia, ahead of search engines Yahoo and Google, according Alexa.com, which tracks Internet traffic. Nearly 4 percent of all Facebook visitors are from Indonesia, making it the largest source of visitors after the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy.
 
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Phun76 (not verified) — Wed, 05/27/2009 - 10:01am

let me just focus this issue on three points:
1. The clerics who condemn FB are those who don't have the account, possess least understanding of how web 2.0 applications work, are, obviously, been living elsewhere not earth, and therefore,
not ( earthly) tech savvy ( been studying those 'yellowish scripts' for far too long and made fatwas based on those outdated teachings). They just don't understand. simple as that. And they don't represent Indonesian Muslims at all.
2. The Jakarta Post is overrating this unimportant issue. And those who leave comments here either are really concerned on the matter or just love condemning Islam. Its been the same people, commenting this sort of issue. Do you guys have this kind of radar alerting u every time the words 'Islam','fatwa', 'jihad' or even ' Islamic clerics' were used online?
3. FB is happening. so is other similar tech applications. Clerics will always be clerics. They will always see it from religious perspectives. Have a look at this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/23/pope-warns-against-obsess_n_160....

So, let's just be human.
peace.

Kev from SBY - Indonesia (not verified) — Wed, 05/27/2009 - 9:45am

Man... I think these people just couldn't sit calm and let things the way it is. If they wanted to protest Facebook and any other social networking application because of those ridiculous reason, I think they should shut down the entire internet along! All of us in the world can do those things if we wanted to not just from social networking sites. Come on People!

Rahadi Widodo (not verified) — Wed, 05/27/2009 - 9:02am

When the wind outside blows onto my pants i get turned on...so are we going to ban the wind?

Edo (not verified) — Tue, 05/26/2009 - 11:18pm

Step by step, that's how the wahhabies work in the archipelago. You only need to see the unbelievable number of women, girls and BABIES wearing the unislamic hijab. I dare to say, that 50% of them already have been wahhabitized, i.e. more than 50 million women.

The fact, that 700 (!) clerics gather to ban Facebook is another step towards darkness, wahhabi darkness. Poor Indonesia!

Petani (not verified) — Tue, 05/26/2009 - 10:25pm

We should ban Muslim clerics and Indonesian Ulema Council. If they want to ban FB, they should ban polygamy as well. What a complete nonsense and idiot!!!

Prefer to stay anonymous (not verified) — Tue, 05/26/2009 - 6:08pm

As a foreigner, when I buy my visa on arival and I pay in another currency than USD, the customs staff consistently NEVER give me back any change, until I explicitly ask for it. They lie to me that e.g. 120,000 IDR = 10 USD, until I demand to see the currency conversion table. In other words: I am already being ripped off by government staff before I have even entered the country!

As I proceed my way into the country, I see MANY examples of dishonest and disrespectful behaviour in an attempt to knock the money out of other people's pockets.

The Muslim clerics have a LOT of work in this country... Some dirty talk on Facebook or whichever social networking site should be VERY low on their list of priorities. There are MANY other things worth MUCH MORE of their attention!

Boringggggg (not verified) — Tue, 05/26/2009 - 4:53pm

does this mean that, on every page of facebook will need to be stamped ' halal 'by those old coots ?
and doing so.. facebook should pay royalty to them ? i smell money in the air ....

Chand (not verified) — Tue, 05/26/2009 - 4:07pm

The main problem is the humanbeing! For whatever good purposed application was made, if the humanbeing is s*cks it always be used in ridiculous purpose.
I don't think that all these "holy" people is really have good morals, it's why they have become affraid be found of that they use FB or other application in pathetic! Do they??

Raja (not verified) — Mon, 05/25/2009 - 7:54pm

Just more nonsense from these nonsensical idiots. If they had their way all Indonesians would be living in caves!

Ed (not verified) — Mon, 05/25/2009 - 7:52pm

How will they be able to successfully implement such senseless ruling. They are ridiculous! Are there not many other websites that promote illicit behavior? To ban the internet as well is definitely more of a disadvantage when there are so many information that can be proven beneficial for everybody. If they are so concerned about the children accessing inappropriate websites, it is the parents responsibility to ensure that the children are monitored when surfing the net. Are we just to lazy to do such?
So many other problems to resolve, I wonder why they are attacking facebook?

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