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Suffering from pornophobia?
Setiono Sugiharto , Jakarta | Thu, 04/03/2008 1:37 AM | Opinion
The brouhaha over the passage of the online porn law by the House of Representatives recently has sparked an endless debate as to what actually constitutes pornography.
It is, however, not that easy to arrive at a single definition of pornography as everyone has considerably different perceptions of it. Debating it will not be worth the effort because we will never reach any mutual agreement of its precise definition.
Thus, the principle weakness of the law is that its formulation is not based on something well-defined. As such, it is subject to multiple interpretations and consequently cannot act as a binding law.
Issues dealing with indecency have long been subject to heated debate in Indonesian society. The strong opposition to pornography mostly comes from religious and conservative groups. These groups are usually the first party to voice their antagonism against any kind of act they consider indecent and disgraceful.
They often justify their position as "a guardian" against immoral acts whose function it is to safeguard the nation's morality. In essence, they are the moral majority of the nation.
Recently, the antipornography stance has become an infamous slogan for political campaigns. Those living in Tangerang are probably familiar with the slogan, along with the picture of the incumbent mayor, posted on a big banner. It reads Jauhi prostitusi, judi dan miras untuk menciptakan masyarakat yang akhlakqul karimah (Refrain from prostitution, gambling and alcohol in order to create a society of good conduct).
In the name of morality, our society has always been (purportedly) averse to anything deemed indecent or promiscuous. In our context, indecency and promiscuity have been the absolute measure of whether or not one has good morality.
Now with easy online access to porn sites, there is fear, particularly among parents, that their children become consumers of adult-oriented websites.
All of these phenomena suggest our society has been suffering from pornophobia, a term derived from the Greek porne (prostitutes) and phobia (fear), which can literary be rendered as fear of prostitutes.
We are always brainwashed into thinking pornography is the byproduct of Western culture and that it should, by all means, be condemned. The banal axiom is that indecency, be it visual or printed, is incompatible with and can erode our Eastern norms and mores. However, this is not necessarily correct.
If one pays a visit to the Shiva temple of Sukuh on Mount Lawu in Central Java, one can witness a "pornographic" panorama of a large relief in the temple's gateway depicting the male's genitalia (locally called lingga) pressing against the females' vagina (yoni). Along the way to the temple one will be flabbergasted upon seeing an ancient statue of a man holding his erect penis. This, indubitably, bears evidence that pornography is historically emblematic of our ancestors' civilization.
But are we really suffering from pornophobia? Is the endorsement of an online porn law by the House a kind of legal manifestation of a pornophobic society?
Let's not be hypocrites. To be candid, we are, for different reasons, always taking an avid interest in something related to (semi-) pornography. The consumption of (semi-) pornographic material such as foreign hardcore porn films, adult magazines, tabloids, newspapers still prevail ubiquitously. They are readily available for public consumption. Nevertheless, no stern measures have been taken so far by the authorities to ban the selling of these materials.
Now that the online porn law has been endorsed and has come into effect, imposing a severe sanction of a maximum of three years in prison or a fine of up to Rp 1 billion (some US$107,000) for those caught red-handed providing and downloading pornographic websites.
This may certainly augur ill for the owners of many Internet cafes (warnet) mostly operating in the capital. However, the extent to which the new law can be effective in combating pornography and porn acts has been doubted by many.
After all, who can guarantee, upon the passage of the law, the sexual violence rate in the country will automatically plummet? Who can guarantee our young generation will avoid free sex? Who will dare give us the assurance the law will prevent people from committing adultery and being sexual promiscuous? Who can assure us the law will make people refrain from other perverted sexual acts, as has been the case of our respected lawmaker whose leaked sex tape with the country's famous dangdut singer once caused a public uproar?
No one knows for sure, and it will remain to be seen. But one this is for sure. Lust or sexual desire is a divine endowment God has bestowed upon His creations. It is an inherent disposition that cannot be controlled by other people, not even by the leviathan of the endorsed online porn law.
The writer is chief editor of the Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching. He can be reached at setiono.sugiharto@atmajaya.ac.id.
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Ketti (not verified) — Mon, 06/23/2008 - 1:50pm
We should agree to anti-pornography law which can control and manage our moral. This law will prevent us from moral damage. To avoid the protest of non-moslems, government could implement the law to the same We could take our neighboring country, Malaysia as the example of the implementation of the law. In Malaysia, government requires only its moslem people to follow the shari'ah law while its non-moslems are given free to choose whether to follow or not. Although it can not guarantee our young generation, we at least are reminded to avoid the porn actions rather than there is not law at all.
Anastasia Sinaga (not verified) — Wed, 06/18/2008 - 5:15pm
Our sexuality is our basic instinct. True, you can also find it in the animal kingdom, but what differs us from them is our long-forgotten Conscience, which is what makes us human. So the question to ponder is, Have we, as a nation, really degraded ourselves to the point where we need futile laws to make sure that we're not out of the line in fulfilling our basic need?
I agree that it is such a cheap trick the govt take to distract people from the real problem of the country. Unfortunately, they succeed. Many of our people really are distracted and put more of their concern to this pornographic issue rather than the problem with welfare, health or even the country's dignity as the lawmakers create more and more nonsense laws which will only turn out to be a huge waste of money that could have been spent for the education, housing, or creating jobs for the people. But oh well, me thinks it will remain as a "Vision", an ideal condition that takes forever to make it happen. It only keeps people's hope up high.
Anyways, i think it's not wise to draw a line between the law and the extremist religion issues. No good has ever come out from a long and exhausting dispute when we insert religious matter to the arguement. It will only be irritating for everyone involved, directly or indirectly.
But hey, reality bites. and sex is, was, and has been there since forever. It's the healthy Conscience that we all miss. The only thing that we need in order to differ our human race from the animal kingdom.
I still have faith that this law will never function effectively anyways... I dare you filthy govt to prove me wrong, then I shall oblige to thy magnifique laws. Good luck in outdoing God and controlling people's free-will and basic instinct!
Scott (not verified) — Sat, 05/31/2008 - 10:44am
I live in the United States and am married to an Indonesian woman.
I love the freedoms we have over here, but the culture of sexual promiscuity and portrayal of women as mere sexual objects in popular entertainment is frightening. It is considered normal and widely acceptable now.
I support this effort to protect your country's youth from adopting our soceitys moral and religious decline.
Andrew (not verified) — Tue, 05/27/2008 - 9:11am
I agree with Kowasky but most indonesian do not realize this scenario because they are not educated well. In fact a lot of people do not have a proper education. Our history tell us that Since independence day, there has been a long conflict between nationalist political parties who want to maintain Pancasila and moslem political parties (Such as masyumi) who want indonesia to become a moslem country.
Nowdays the extremist muslim groups has been spread over nationalist political party and also in our judicial system. Therefore they are capable to push shariah law into judicial institutions. It was reported that laws
influenced by sharia already implemented in some 50 municipalities (jakpost 3/3/08). For example, in tangerang, there is a rule stated that women are not allowed to go out alone at night. Although a group of people protest this rule and ask Constitutional Court (MK) to eradicate this rule, but the Constitutional Court (MK) refused to do so.
Most of controversy that happen in indonesia are because of the conflict between nationalist or democratic groups and extermist moslem groups, such as:
1. Ahmadiyah case.
2. Porn law.
3. education bill that stipulates that all students have the right to receive religious instruction according to their beliefs from teachers of the same faith.
4. regulation on the establishment of houses of worship
Currently, nationalist party has an image of corruption, nepotism, and inefficient while extreme moslem party has a good image as clean, anti-corruption and efficient.
Military is the wild card. So far, military wants to maintain pancasila. But military is reflecting the society so if the society change than it is possible that military will change too. In my opinion, for the next 5 years indonesia will not become a moslem country but in the next 10 years perhaps.
The Reader (not verified) — Wed, 05/21/2008 - 3:21pm
It's very difficult indeed, to guard the moral of nation. We off course have so many problems other than pornography, but we must also think about our children too. some people in DPR are trying to find the best way to protect the moral of this nation, why don't we just support them to find the best solution?
Call me subjective, but I think that people who said that there is no clear definition about pornography must be lying to themselves. Because as human being, we all know that every exposure of human body, voice, writings etc. that can raise sexual desire can be considered as pornography. Those are the things that make us feel uncomfortable, when seen, heard or read by our children, especially children under age of 18, because we don't want they know these things and suffer from this before their time, right?
let's not talking about religions, just realize that every religion suggest to cover ourselves from evil that comes from our lust, in this case is sexual desire. If we can't control the human desires, the least we can do is to limit the media that brings the "vision".
How to put that in regulation? now that is the point that we all must think wisely together.
Adam MJV, Jakarta (not verified) — Fri, 05/02/2008 - 8:00pm
Prima, you shouldn`t overreact, what Kowasky writes has got nothing to do with Wilders at all of course, in fact Kowasky has got some good points.
Everybody enjoys sex, muslims (including myself) too.
Extremism in religion is never good! Extreme Jewish colonisation is also not good, extreme catholics forcing their religion in South America is wrong as well, and therefore extreme muslims, saying other religions are hedonism, are wrong too.
But that is not the point here. It is about porn, the government accepted this new law to ban online pornography, which is absolutely impossible as most porn on the net originates from the USA. Now how does the government think to ban that?
How easy can it be: If the government is so scared that children see pornography then everybody has got there own responsibility to protect there children for it by using filters!
How can you hit people with impossible fines, Indonesian people will go bankrupt. Will the government try to hit expatriates instead to get more money out of them?
Prostitution is every where around the world, in fact the prostitutes maybe perform the oldest existing "job" in the world... How can you try to say something like this doesn't exist in Indonesia? Does Prima know how many Indonesian girls end up as kind of sex slaves in Saudi Arabia (yes, our fellow muslim brothers...) and the girls are pretending to work as au pair or something like that? You should protect your Indonesian women for something like this. How many brothels and massage parlours with extra service are there in Jakarta, Batam, Surabaya and how come they are there? There would be less brothels if there is less poverty in Indonesia!!! But you can never close all these places as there are always weak man who give in to temptation.
The government would better put their attention to corruption which is the worst that could ever happen to Indonesia! Even the anti-corruption office is corrupt! Indonesia is so rich, but only the rich people enrich themselves! It will never change!
Zachry - Jakarta (not verified) — Fri, 04/25/2008 - 7:10pm
I totally agree with the writer's view.
People in House of Representative who support the endorsement of anti pornographic bills are a bunch of hypocrites, stupid, opportunist, and narrow-minded people. They created the bill to give impression that they come up with something good to the people while they keep on moving with their corruption to enrich themselves all the time. It's to distract people from the real issue that they should be dealing with i.e their corrupted selves.
Lust and sexual desire is indeed a blessing from God for us to enjoy and appreciate. As long as we practise it in a responsible and respectful manner and not harmful other people, the government has no right whatsoever to dictate it. People who despise it in the name of morality are disguising jealousy.
Guile (not verified) — Wed, 04/23/2008 - 8:58am
"The author seems to have been brainwashed into thinking that we have been brainwashed.
Morals are your principles. You do not brainwash yourself."
Morals are your principles? For some people maybe. But you? I doubt it. You've been indoctrinated too (or brainwashed, if you wish).
You don't believe me? Ask yourself this? How different are your morals from your parents? From your clerics? From the majority of people you were raised with? Or did you just happen to innately come to exactly the same moral conclusions as an adult as the people who taught you morality when you grew up?
If you had grown up in a western country with a western family, your morals would be totally different and you know it. I'm not saying better or worse, but definitely different.
We are all ethnocentric to some degree. Some of us try hard to see the other side, other people are just in denial about it and assume that their culture is the only "true" culture and everything that doesn't go along with the their culture is just decadence and immorality. These narrow=minded people are the ones who prevent people of different cultures from living in peace together.
Soemarwoto, K (not verified) — Sat, 04/19/2008 - 9:07pm
"We are always brainwashed into thinking pornography is the byproduct of Western culture and that it should, by all means, be condemned."
The author seems to have been brainwashed into thinking that we have been brainwashed.
Morals are your principles. You do not brainwash yourself.
Their boundaries are difficult to define. Seeing how people like the author's try to push them aside, I doubt if they still exist at all in society.
R. A. Stallmann (not verified) — Mon, 04/14/2008 - 2:15am
I have to respond to a couple of these responses because they are just so ignorant, in terms of both religion and science. First of all, the author of this opinion column AND many of the comments posted argue that since sexual desire is from God, any restraints upon it must go against God's will. I can't speak to the other religions' point of view, but from an Islamic point of view, God gave us sexual and other motivations for two reasons: first, to fulfill some basic function (in this case, reproduction) through moderate and disciplined realization of our desires (in marriage); and second, the opportunity to grow spiritually by disciplining and controlling ourselves, submitting to God by exercising our own free will. Yes, those desires are from God, but it does not mean we have license to go to extremes in following them--quite the contrary. Islamic sages have clarified this point for hundreds of years, going back to the Prophet--the ignorance of these people about Islam is shocking. Secondly, one writer claims that sexual desire is entirely "explained" by sexual selection, therefore there's no need for God. This typical Darwinian view of evolution is simply baseless. Natural and sexual selection explain ONLY the spread of reproductively advantageous traits--it does not explain the origin of those traits, nor how variation is maintained in a population, nor the developmental processes that translate genes into workable phenoypes (anatomy, etc.), nor the structure of DNA, the genome and the proteome--without all of which, natural and sexual selection would be impossible. Finally, the idea that moral outrage is "selected" because it is a "signal" of something is just a story without any hard scientific basis at all. Please, atheists, stop trying to use evolution as a way to argue God's non-existence. It's just ridiculous and self-serving.