Your comments on a fatwa issued by Muhammadiyah, the country’s second-largest Islamic organization, saying that smoking is haram

Bravo to Muhammadiyah’s latest edict: It is part of the global anti-tobacco campaign. Former health minister Siti Fadilah Supari should forget the old story that the tobacco business is the livelihood for a great number of farmers and workers.
Don’t let our people (the bastion of our nation) get addicted to nicotine, in order to save their health.  
Isn’t that part of your obligations as a former health minister? How can we help you?

Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta

Stop spending half of your family income on tobacco products! When are smokers going to realize that their smoking kills others besides themselves too?
What the tobacco lobby is able to do in Indonesia is beyond criminal!

G Doggie
Washington
 
I see nothing wrong with world anti-smoking organizations supporting any group in Indonesia attempting to curb smoking here. Someone has to counteract the huge amount of money that tobacco companies pour into their promotions.
Smoking is responsible for millions of preventable deaths annually and unfortunately smokers themselves seem to be living in total ignorance of the consequences, especially young people who, of course, believe that they are invincible.
One cannot put an old head on young shoulders, so anything that can reduce the number of smokers should be welcomed. Personally, I don’t feel that the edict will have much effect, but everything helps.
To begin with they should ban all types of tobacco advertising but they won’t because “Money talks”. At least they could increase the health disclaimer time on screen in TV ads from the present one-sixtieth of a second or thereabouts.

Exbrit
Probolinggo, East Java

 The Muhammadiyah should also issue a fatwa against eating saturated fats, driving, and walking outdoors for the same reasons.

Loren Ryter
Jakarta

I agree smoking is haram but it needs clarification: For whom, when, where and why. Such explanations are needed to avoid misunderstandings in our society. 

Muhammad Akmaluddin
Jakarta

The Muhammadiyah does not need to issue a fatwa on smoking. What we need is to educate people that smoking is not good for them and/or others. Family has an important role to play in preventing family members from smoking.

Devi Teddy
Jakarta

I think smoking isn’t about halal and haram, but it is a matter of how to respect others when they smoke.

Akmal Al-Qudsiyyi
Jakarta

For the sake of the younger generation, we must know that our country has one of the highest cigarette consumption rates.

Donny Monas
Jakarta

Good decision. Anything harmful to your health, or to the health of those around you, is naturally haram from the religious point of view.
However, does this mean that the smokers are not going to get the service of providing ashtrays for them in all Muhammadiyah mosques (which wasn’t appropriate in the first place)?
Does it mean that no teachers in Muhammadiyah schools will smoke in front of the kids? Does it mean, no students or lecturers will smoke at the universities of Muhammadiyah? I wish them all the best.

Mohamed
Jakarta

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