The producers and crews of the movie 2012 may need to thank the clerics of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) who called on the government to ban the Hollywood blockbuster about the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012, because their call seems to have piqued the curiosity of more Indonesians.
MUI South Kalimantan chairman Aywadie Syukur said the government should consider banning 2012 because it could mislead or confuse Muslims. "Muslims should also be careful not to get carried away by anything negative or go against religious values," he said as quoted by this newspaper last week.
Of course, it is not just the call that has seen Indonesians pack movie theaters. Surely it is because of the quality of the movie directed by Roland Emmerich. Daring to mention the date of Dec. 21, 2012 - inspired by an ancient Mayan belief - as doomsday may be the reason many people around the globe chose to watch this Hollywood movie that cost US$200 million to produce.
But the call by the MUI clerics may spark more Indonesians to become curious about the film, in part out of fear that the government will really heed the MUI's call.
Your comments:
2012 has lots of noisy and extravagant special effects. It is based on a mixture of bad science and inaccurate mythology. It is also backed by a huge budget and the threat of being banned by the MUI and our sycophant government. So of course it is a runaway box-office success.
The film, The Age of Stupid, on the other hand, is based on documentary footage, good scientific argument and no predictions based on mythology or religion at all. It has a tiny budget financed by ordinary people and is heavily in debt.
It predicts a tipping point of 2015 for the world to collectively stabilize greenhouse gas emissions before they have a runaway effect and the destruction of human life on this planet by 2055.
This well made and thoughtful film should be seen by every Indonesian since we are the third-largest contributor to this future disaster.
The film 2012, on the other hand, seems to have been rather successful in diverting the attention of the populace from the imminent threat of real catastrophe by presenting a fantastic and easily disproved entertainment.
The comments of Tifatul Sembiring, the Information Minister, saying that earthquakes and disasters were caused by pornographic DVDs also distracted people's attention from the real stupidity around us. Let's see what we can do.
The MUI could ban The Age of Stupid because it says consumerism is stronger than religion. The government could ban it because it says the only solution is for people to hold massive worldwide protests - including swimming naked in mud. Banning something seems the only way to get people interested.
I have no commercial interest in promoting The Age of Stupid. I do, however, have a life-and-death interest in its message.
We all do.
Rafiq Mahmood
Bogor, West Java
This is just typical MUI, who always presume and assume Indonesian Muslims are a bunch of idiots who cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality. Or perhaps, it's a reflection of how MUI see themselves, either as an organization or as individuals.
MUI, as a voice of religious authority, should be respected and listened to. It should, as an organization, act as a tower of light that enlightens Indonesian Muslims, providing guidance in times of need.
But it is fatwa or opinions like this that undermine its credibility and leads moderate Muslims to question its authority and common sense.
Islam is a religion for those who think, and as such it is questionable if a representation of its authority issues opinions that are against common sense.
Rihan
Jakarta
Are they real clerics or not? I think they can use the time after the usual prayer times to explain a bit about 2012 and relate it to the Holy Koran instead of just banning it completely. This would be beneficial for the clerics themselves because that means more time to spend with people and could build rapport between them (I hope).
Maharani
Japan
