Taking a broad view

The war to keep Indonesia democratically secular, or at least non-Sharia, won one little battle recently.

Publish and be damned - but Playboy lives to excite another day by Mark Forbes

INDECENCY charges against the editor of Indonesian Playboy have been thrown out of court, prompting an outcry from Islamic groups.

Erwin Arnada vowed to continue publishing, but said his magazine - tame by Western standards - would not feature nudity.

The case has become a lightning rod in the hard-fought morality war being waged by Muslim groups. Mr Arnada had to move his offices to Bali [a Hindu oasis in an otherwise Muslim country] last year, after being besieged by rock-throwing protesters.

Chief judge Efran Basyuning said that Playboy's pictures "could not be categorised as pornography". He quoted an expert witness who testified they were not vulgar as the models' genitals were covered.

The content differed from American Playboy and was more art than pornography, the court was told.

Judge Basyuning said prosecutors had incorrectly charged Mr Arnada under Indonesia's criminal code instead of press laws so the "indictment cannot be accepted".

The models were professionals who had been featured in similar poses in other publications without attracting complaints, he observed.

Prosecutors are considering if they will refile charges against Mr Arnada. It is unclear if proposed cases against some of the Playboy models will continue in light of yesterday's verdict.

Mr Arnada said the verdict demonstrated freedom of the press was valued in Indonesia.

Islamic leaders and cabinet ministers had joined the opposition to Playboy following large public demonstrations. They claimed the magazine was corrupting Indonesia with "Western decadence".

Indonesia's parliament is still considering sweeping anti-pornography laws that would ban any pictures or films that could be considered titillating. Under the proposed laws, women could be jailed for wearing "provocative clothing" that revealed their navels or emphasised their breasts.

This is porn