| Submit your comments on this article | |
| -Short Attention Span Theater- | |
| 2012 film against Islam: Indonesia clerics | |
| 2009-11-20 | |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Hollywood's latest doomsday offering "2012" has caused a storm in Indonesia, with conservative clerics condemning it Thursday as a "provocation against Islam". Screenings have been sold out across the capital Jakarta following the film's success in North America, where it beat Disney's "A Christmas Carol" to top the box office honors last weekend.
But while most viewers said they had enjoyed the film's apocalyptic vision of life after December 21, 2012, when the fulfillment of a Mayan prophecy sees the Earth engulfed by catastrophe, senior clerics were deeply troubled. The country's top Islamic body, the National Council of Ulema (MUI), is divided over whether or not to issue a fatwa or religious edict against the film. One local branch has already done so, to little apparent effect. "The controversial things about the film are, first, in Islam doomsday should not be visualized or predicted, it's the secret of God," council chairman Amidhan told AFP. "For the common people, the portrayal of doomsday in this film could distort their faith, that's what I'm worried about." He also complained that the film showed mosques being destroyed but not churches, despite sequences depicting the Vatican collapsing and Rio de Janeiro's monumental Christ the Redeemer statue crumbling to pieces. "The film shows that everything including Kaaba (Islam holiest shrine) and mosques were devastated except for churches. The film is a provocation against Islam," Amidhan said. "The Indonesian film censorship body should have cut part of the scene on the devastation of mosques or the Kaaba because it hurts the Muslim people." | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 Yeah but forgot to include the scene where Atreyu converts and makes mecca in space on his luck carpet. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-11-20 20:58 |
| #6 That's odd - wasn't there a recent news story saying the director has opted out of including the Kaaba in the destruction, in order to avoid a fatwa? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-11-20 20:53 |
| #5 Well if Apocalyptic movies are out of bounds I guess they cant enjoy Zombieland either. Their loss. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2009-11-20 14:44 |
| #4 I thought mooselimbs weren't supposed to make graven images. So what are they doing going to the movies at all, much less movies about the final days? |
| Posted by: Jeremiah Omatch3991 2009-11-20 13:41 |
| #3 You know, such a ban could dstroy Islam, the primary religions across the world (NOT MUZZIE) say "Do Not Kill". The islamics violate this commandment daily, if the UN is Commanded to uphold Religious "Bans" Islamics will vanish like a snowball in a blast furnace. Remember, "Be Careful What You Wish For". |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-11-20 13:16 |
| #2 I'm hoping for the irony that the director and producer will get a fatwah against them for making such an anti-religion movie. |
| Posted by: Penguin 2009-11-20 09:44 |
| #1 WORLD NEWS/TOPIX > MUSLIM COUNTRIES CALL FOR [global?, UN-suppor] BLASPHEMY BAN. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-11-20 00:24 |