Although some protests have occurred, reactions to the "Innocence
of Muslims" in SE. Asia has been restrained compared to the Middle East.
Over the last few days, the world
has witnessed uproar in more than 20 countries over video clips from “Innocence
of Muslims”, a U.S.-made anti-Muslim film ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad,
including assaults on several U.S. embassies which have left a top American
diplomat dead. While the outrage over the film has not thus far been as fierce
in Southeast Asia as it has been in the Middle East, the governments in the two
large Muslim-majority countries – Malaysia and Indonesia – have nonetheless
moved swiftly to try to contain any potential violence.
In Indonesia, the world’s most
populous Muslim country, the reaction to the clip was critical but not radical.
On September 13, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s spokesman for
international affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, said Yudhoyono denounced the movie for
“the element of blasphemy” but also because it had resulted in the loss of
lives which he truly regretted. Indonesia’s National Ulema Council (MUI) also
explicitly asked all Indonesians to show restraint and not overreact to the
film through violent protests. Hundreds of members of the Indonesian Muslim
group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) did stage a protest in front of the U.S.
embassy on Friday, but it was largely peaceful. The embassy compound was also
heavily guarded by around 400 Indonesian policemen, including dozens in riot
gear.
Even though the reaction was
mostly non-violent, the government nevertheless demanded as early as September
13 that YouTube block access to the film. Communications and Information
Ministry spokesman Gatot Dewa Broto said the “offensive” film had clearly upset
Indonesian Muslims and the government did not want “violence to break out
here.” Google emailed the government that evening to announce that it had
blocked Indonesian access to 16-related URLs on their site, according to an
article in The Australian. Film extracts were still available on YouTube on
Sunday, but Broto said “a special effort” was being made to restrict access.
Jakarta has also written separately to Blackberry maker Research in Motion
(RIM) to filter the videos on smartphones, and has found it to be “very
cooperative.” Indonesia is RIM’s biggest market outside North America, which
gives the company strong incentive to oblige Jakarta’s request.
In neighboring Malaysia,
reactions have been similarly muted relative to the Middle East, and leaders
have also focused on criticizing the film’s narrative while discouraging
overreaction. Prime Minister Najib Razak refuted the movie’s narrative that
“all Muslims are extremists”, while Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the
producers should rectify the situation for the sake of peace. Home Minister
Hishammuddin Hussein also cautioned Malaysians to “be rational but firm and not
over emotional to the point national security is threatened.” Other political
parties have also chimed in, with all actors fixed on upcoming general
elections which must be held before April next year. Anwar Ibrahim, the leader
of the opposition, urged the U.S. to “hold to account” the individuals
responsible, but also unequivocally condemned “the senseless killing” that had
taken place. The spiritual leader of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) Nik
Aziz Nik Mat meanwhile labeled the film producers crazy and urged the
authorities to take firm action. While some of these statements have been
critical, there has been little sign yet of any visceral one-upmanship among
parties in a bid to score political points on the issue which could radicalize
the reaction further.
In terms of protests, Agence
France-Presse reported several in different parts of the country on Friday,
ranging from the northern city of Ipoh to Batu Caves, a popular tourist
location outside the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur. However, no violence was
reported. A group of around 30 people from Islamic organizations did march to
the U.S. embassy to hand-deliver a request for the U.S. to take the clip off
YouTube, but the demonstration was peaceful and the protesters clarified that
they condemned the violence in the Middle East that had led to the death of
several Americans.
Nonetheless, the government
appears to be taking no chances and has wasted no time in following suit in
clamping down. On Saturday, Malaysia’s Information, Communications and Culture
Minister Rais Yatim revealed he had instructed the Malaysian Communications and
Multimedia Commission to “ban the access of the movie trailer via YouTube and
other channels,” and that the ban should serve “as a warning” to local and
foreign parties that the government will not tolerate “negative elements
touching upon racial and religious sensitivities.” And on Sunday, the
Associated Press quoted Rais as saying that Kuala Lumpur had officially asked
Google to block access to the video clip, citing “explosive commotions and
repercussions at hand.” While such radical reactions have been mostly absent so
far in both Malaysia and Indonesia, the governments in both countries seem
determined to act preemptively to ensure the violence in the Middle East does
not spread to Southeast Asia.
Prashanth Parameswaran
Business & Investment Opportunities
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