The Japan Foundation, an international cultural group taking part in Q! Film Festival, Jakarta’s LGBT film festival, halted screenings after some 100 members of the Islamic Defenders Front began protesting outside the venues, demanding an immediate halt to participating in the two-week event.
Wearing long, white robes and turbans, the protesters shouted antigay messages and carried a picture showing a man embracing another man. ‘‘During a meeting with them, the Japan Foundation executives agreed to listen to our aspiration and immediately decided to cancel the screening of the homosexual and lesbian movies,’’ said Salim bin Umar Alatas, chairman of the Jakarta branch of FPI.
Japan Foundation Jakarta, which screened one film on Monday evening, was the fourth foreign-run venue of the annual festival to be visited by the Islamic group. Earlier on the day, the activists staged protests in front of the French government-affiliated Centre Culturel Francais or CCF, the German government’s GoetheHaus and the Dutch government’s Erasmus Huis, demanding the centers stop participating in the film festival.
Of course the FPI was nice about things and sent everybody letters ahead of time to let ’em know they were coming. Sort of like Westboro Baptist does, when it puts its protest schedule on the web.
tallskin2
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/islamic-hard-liners-protest-indonesias-gay-and-lesbian-film-festival/398462
the above website is where Queerty got their story from.
one of the comments is worth copy and pasting here:
“”…the false pretext of human rights.” Keep your eye on that one. Because that is at the heart of the FPI agenda – the suppression of human rights, because they see human rights, liberty, human dignity automatically as offences against Islam.
Put that together with Islamic conspiracy theories – and the ever present ‘victim’ mentality of some Muslims – and you have a dangerous mix.
It seems we have learnt nothing from the ‘Hitler’ experience.”
Freddie
If ya don’t like the movie, don’t buy a ticket, ya fuckwads.
Dan
Notice that the Jakarta members of the Islamic Defenders Front stole the movie posters. They are thieves as well as thugs. Stealing is traditionally punishable by having your hand cut off in Islam. Hypocrites.
This sounds like Egypt a few years back. What kind of dumbasses persecutes a group which has many members with HIV who could just stick you with a needle of their own blood if you run around violating their human rights. Don’t these idiots ever think anything through when they pull this crap.
GimmeaBreak
Where, o, where have we seen such tactics before? Hmmmm. Oh, that’s right – Texas:
A college play that depicted Jesus Christ as a gay man was canceled after school officials received a barrage of “vile, hateful” emails and messages, a university spokeswoman said.
According to a report by CBS station KTVT, the situation began with a theater class assignment at Tarleton State University. In “Corpus Christi,” Jesus is depicted as a gay man who presides over the marriage of two male disciples.
But David Harris, pastor of the Hillcrest Church of Christ, rallied his congregation to derail the production and handed out phone numbers and email addresses of school officials.
“We are told in our bibles that we are to contend for the faith – that means fight. We were just as determined in our efforts not to let it happen as they were to let it happen,” said Harris.
Harris insisted his opposition was not rooted in play’s gay theme.
“This has never been a battle between the homosexuals and the Christians,” Harris said. “This has been a battle about the defamation of the name of Jesus Christ and I don’t care if it had been a tobacco-chewing cowboy, I would’ve fought just as hard.”
John Otte, the student director of the production hoped the play would serve as a lesson for tolerance.
“I’m not angry with anyone, it just saddens me that they would go this far,” Otte told KTVT in an email.
Matt
The anti-queer sentiments within Islamic groups are not historically consistent, just like in Christianity. They can increase and decrease depending on social contexts. While we should criticize censorship and not allow freedom of expression to be threatened, the LGBT community should be working with Muslims and stand in solidarity when their freedom of expression is threatened (such as when mosques are being opposed and the veil is outlawed, forcing women to choose between their religious expression and a monetary fine in France). The process of coming together and opening dialog is a good strategy of preventing intolerance such as in this case, not calling all muslims extremists and refusing to participate in discussions.
windbite
Say what you will, but Islam is NOT compatible with Western Society. This is NOT a religion of peace people! Know your enemy!