The rector of State Diponegoro University (Undip) has forbidden students from holding a discussion on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) issues on campus claiming that the theme was contrary to religious teachings.

Rector Yos Johan Utama said on Friday the topic was sensitive and he was worried that it would steer participants in the wrong direction. According to Yos, the notion of LGBT went against religious teachings.

'€œUndip upholds religious values and akhlakul karimah [good deeds],'€ he said on Friday as quoted by tempo.co.

Yos also said that the discussion was cancelled because the students had not received permission from the Dean.

The Student Press Association (LPM) Gema Keadilan from Undip's faculty of law had to cancel the discussion on Thursday after failing to acquire a permit from campus authorities.

In his defense, Yos said the university upheld academic freedom only on the condition that it was conducted responsibly.

LPM Gema Keadilan regularly holds discussions on various subjects and the LGBT-themed discussion would have been their sixth event. The students invited three guest speakers for the discussion: Yosep, chairman of the Semarang Gay Community, Marten Hanura, a human rights professor from Undip'€™s faculty of social and political sciences, and Zulfa Juniarto, a professor from the faculty of medicine.

The chairman of the Central Java Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), Kahar Muamalsyah, condemned the university for the prohibition.

"This is ironic. An academic institution forbidding its students from engaging in critical thinking on an issue," he told tempo.

Kahar said the prohibition was a misguided attempt at moral judgment. Kahar urged Undip to respect and encourage freedom of expression from its student body.

He also called on the police to uphold the state'€™s responsibility to protect the rights of citizens.

The Islamic Defenders'€™ Front (FPI) of Central Java disagreed with the ban. Head of the advocacy team for Central Java FPI Zainal Abidin said, as quoted by tempo.co, that the discussion would help produce fruitful outcomes by revealing the main problems surrounding LGBT people. The problems included the basic reason for the existence of such people, why Islam forbid them and whether economic factors were involved.

'€œFreedom of discussion is protected under the law. Students have the right to continue their discussion,'€ Zainal Abidin said.

Nonetheless, in line with the Undip'€™s stance on free speech, Zainal warned that the FPI would ban any kind of discussion that expressed support for LGBT people. (liz/afr/rin)

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