Issues: ‘Minister calls anti-smoking edict unwise’

March 17, p. 4

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali has criticized Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization for its anti-tobacco edict, calling on it to “act more wisely” and not “cause public restlessness”. The organization, Muhammadiyah, which has around 30 million followers across the country, last week declared smoking to be haram, or forbidden under Islamic law.

The edict has sparked protests, particularly from the country’s tobacco industry and groups protesting the perceived meddling by religious groups in private affairs. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) earlier issued an edict banning smoking, but only for children and pregnant women.

“This is related to many issues, not just religious but also economic ones,” Suryadharma said Monday after a Cabinet meeting on development issues at the Presidential Office. “I hope [Muhammadiyah] acts more wisely in issuing edicts as they impact on many things.

This [anti-smoking edict] can have an economic impact on the community and lead to restlessness among communities.”

Your comments:

Suryadharma should get his facts straight. His statement: “Unless it poses a direct threat to human health, such as by causing heart disease, then smoking should not be haram” is incorrect.
Smoking causes millions of death directly related to smoking, including heart disease, cancer (lung, colon, stomach, throat among others), and other lung diseases etc.
The Muhammadiyah declaring smoking haram is a responsible social stance.
The main focus of the Muhammadiyah movement is to heighten people’s sense of moral responsibility, purifying their faith to true Islam. It emphasizes the authority of the Koran and the Hadiths as supreme Islamic law that serve as the legitimate basis of the interpretation of religious belief and practices, in contrast to traditional practices where sharia law is invested in religious schools by ulema.
The Muhammadiyah, therefore, is an organization directed to the social well-being of the community, not only its followers. This, of course, includes the harmful effects of smoking.
Perhaps Suryadharma should stop smoking himself and stop hiding behind the clouds of his cigarette fumes to support the tobacco lobby.
Henry Manoe
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

If money is the problem, then we all should consider the amount of money that will be spent in treating patients because of smoking-related illnesses.
Please also think the lives lost through smoking, which cannot be measured in any currency.
Bawied
Jakarta

I agree with the minister as the edict would affect other aspects, such as the economy of this country. Banning smoking would provoke protests from the cigarette industry as well as the farmers who make living from tobacco.
However, we cannot neglect the fact that smoking is obnoxious. Maybe the health minister could ban smoking from schools for a start and later improve the regulation.
Evan
Jakarta