Indonesian Muslim leaders strongly protested the third edition of the Indonesian Playboy magazine, urging police to take stern action against the editors of the US-based publication, local media reports said yesterday.
The July edition hit newsstands late last week, with its cover featuring a woman wearing black underpants and a gray jacket without wearing a bra. Muslim hardliners described the magazine as more vulgar than the two previous editions.
"We asked the new Jakarta city police chief to continue to prohibit circulation of Playboy magazine in the capital," a noted Muslim leader M al-Kaththath told Republika, a Muslim-oriented Indonesian daily.
Deputy House Speaker Zaenal Maarif from the Muslim-based Star Reform Party urged the police to take strict measures against the magazine, saying that Playboy Indonesia was "insulting and hurting the feeling among Muslims."
"The police must take a stern action and immediately shut down the Playboy's office," Maarif was quoted as saying by the Detik.com online news portal.
Hidayat Nurwahid from the Prosperous Justice Party and chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, accused Playboy Indonesia of violating criminal laws. Others said the magazine had "intentionally provoked Muslim followers."
Indonesian police have formally named Erwin Armada, Playboy's editor in chief in Indonesia, and Kartika Gunawan, who posed in lingerie for the first edition, suspects for violating anti-indecency laws.
The magazine has been criticized even by some who acknowledge that it is no more pornographic than other tabloids sold in the country.s
Muslim hardliners have vowed to take to the streets to protest the publication, saying that by continuing to publish, Playboy was challenging the Muslim majority in Indonesia.
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