Challenging diversity?: Indonesia's Anti-Pornography Bill

Abstract

By the time this article goes to press, Indonesia's Anti-Pornography Bill (Rancangan Undang-Undang Antipornografi dan Pornoaksi, known in Indonesia as RUU APP) may well have become law. My discussion here, however, goes beyond the details of the various versions of the Bill to its wider symbolism. I argue that the rhetoric both for and against the Bill is symbolic of a deep concern about the future of the nation. The stated articles and clauses of the Bill are of less concern to most Indonesians than what is 'unstated' in it. For many, the 'unstated' is the influence that a growing Islamic conservatism can wield on those in power. Indonesia may have the largest Muslim population in the world but resistance to this Bill sends a message that there is widespread alarm in the country at the prospect of a religious hegemony where Islam not only sets moral standards but also drives state policy.