Muhammadiyah students have waged a mutiny against the country’s second largest Muslim organization following its decision to ban smoking.
Dozens of activists representing student executive boards at Muhammadiyah universities across the country took to the streets in Malang, one of East Java cigarette producing towns, on Wednesday, to demand the Islamic organization revoke its fatwa that declared smoking haram (forbidden under Islam).
Rally coordinator Nasrudin Khoiriza said the edict would do more harm than good as thousands of workers and many other people who made a living from tobacco sales would be affected.
“The fatwa will not solve the problem but create many problems. It will deprive cigarette company workers, tobacco farmers, street vendors and many more,” Nasrudin said.
There are about 40,000 cigarette company workers in Malang alone.
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|