She says she goes but only on her own terms
After
having been given conditional permission to put on a show in Jakarta over the
heated objections of Islamic fundamentalists, pop singer Lady Gaga’s US manager
told reporters Thursday that she would rather cancel dates than make changes to
appease critics.
The pop
superstar’s Jakarta concert, slated for June 3, has been the subject of threats
of violence by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), a violence-prone group of young
males who have often been tied to the National Police, which in turn are said
to use them to accomplish various aims outside the law.
Observers
in Jakarta believe there will be considerable negotiating between now and the
June 3 date, but that the concert will probably go ahead.
There
have long been questions in Jakarta over whether the FPI is actually playing
hardball over religion in what has traditionally been regarded as a laid-back
and tolerant country, especially in Jakarta itself, or whether they are being
used to extort money from performers and others who do not conform to strict
Islamic ideals, and that the events go ahead after a payoff.
The
Islamic People’s Forum, (FUI), another of the Islamist hardline groups, said
Tuesday that Big Daddy, the concert’s promoter, had offered “hundreds of
millions” of rupiah to allow the concert to go ahead. FUI spokesman Munarman
made the charge, but then refused to name the person who made the offer and
added the organization would protest against the concert anyway.
The
concert has ignited considerable pushback from liberals and Lady Gaga’s
followers, dubbed “little monsters,” who said the national police had knuckled
under to Islamic fundamentalists who don’t represent anything but small numbers
of radicals. The event is expected to be the singer’s biggest concert on her
Asia tour. Some observers say the 26-year-old singer has as many as 1.3 million
rabid fans in the country who have been permanently turned against the
Islamists.
The
Indonesian Council of Churches (PGI), a Christian organization, has thrown its
support behind the concert, saying Indonesia’s constitution protects freedom of
expression. Gomar Gultom, secretary general of the PGI, said it was the job of
religious leaders — not pop stars or the police — to keep the nation’s moral
fiber intact.
One
Indonesian lawmaker, Ahmad Basarah of the House of Representatives' legal
affairs commission, said the National Police cannot choose to only ban imports
pushing western ideology when Middle Eastern influences often run counter to
Indonesia's Pancasila ideology, which stresses tolerance for all religions.
"The
government shouldn't discriminate when upholding the law," the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician said. "If they dare to
cancel shows that push a liberal-capitalistic ideology like Lady Gaga, then
they should also take firm action against demonstrations pushing ideologies
from the Middle East." Thursday, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry
director general for cultural value, arts and film said the government had given
its blessing for the concert, and that a recommendation to issue a permit had
been sent to the National Police.
The
Jakarta Police said they were ready to supply as many as 2,000 to 4,000
officers to make sure the Islamic Defenders Front and other hardline groups
didn’t disrupt the show. The FPI had said earlier that it had purchased 150
tickets to the sold-out show and would seek to enter the event to stop it from
going on.
Senior
Jakarta Police spokesman Rikwanto said, however, that the police were ready to
smuggle their own officers in plain clothes into the concert to make sure it
went off safely. More than 52,000 people are set to attend the show at a
stadium in Central Jakarta.
Coordinating
Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyantoko said last
week that a compromise might involve Lady Gaga’s lyrics, choreography and
appearance. But the singter’s manager, Troy Carter, said she would rather
cancel appearances than make changes to appease censors and religious groups.
In any event, Carter told reporters, it wasn’t possible to appease religious
hardliners who have denounced appearances in South Korea, Indonesia and the
Philippines ad well as Indonesia. The shows have gone on as scheduled without
changes. She is due to perform in Bangkok tomorrow night, followed by four
appearances in Singapore.
“We’ll
skip them,” Carter told a music conference in Singapore, insisting that Lady
Gaga would not tone down any upcoming concerts. “We play the show as it is.
It’s a very specific show, it’s a very specific audience.”
On
Twitter this week, according to Agence France Presse, the performer said she
would perform solo if necessary rather than bow to demands from Indonesian
censors or the threats of violence.
Asia
Sentinel
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