JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Tens of thousands of conservative Muslims rallied in the Indonesian capital Sunday in support of a proposed anti-pornography bill that critics say would chip away at the country's secular traditions.The protesters, who arrived in buses organized by mosques and conservative Islamic groups, urged parliament to immediately pass the bill, that in its current form would ban kissing in public - as well as erotic poetry, dancing, drawing, writing, photos and film. Organizers said 1 million people would attend the demonstration. Turnout appeared far less than that, perhaps 25,000, but it was still one of the largest shows of force by conservative Islam in recent years.
| They say the same thing about anti-war rallies here, each of which is routinely outdrawn by Major League Baseball. |
The bill, which was originally drafted in 1999 following the downfall of ex-dictator Suharto, is facing opposition from nationalist lawmakers, who form a majority in the house, and is unlikely to pass as in its current form. Those opposed to the bill include the country's minority faiths, liberal Muslim groups, artists and several outlying regions which fear their traditional dances and culture may be criminalized.