MUI launches movement to improve morality

Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has launched a movement called the National Movement to Correct the Nation’s Morals, which contains seven demands. The movement was launched following a spate of recent media reports that indicated what the council deemed a decline in the country's moral fiber.<>

“This is our reaction to the frequent sexual deviations, child violence, murders and drug abuse cases, which are the obvious signs of a nation’s morality declining,” MUI chairman Din Syamsuddin said as quoted by Antara news agency on Tuesday.

Din said the first of the council's demands was to punish firmly and consistently anyone who violated laws related to the preservation of morals and character. He cited the Pornography Law, the Press Law, the Broadcasting Law, the Information Transaction Law and the National Education Law as examples of such regulations.

He said the MUI also demanded that the government revise the Child Protection Law to increase the safety of Indonesian children and provide a deterrence to any would-be child molester.

The third demand is to revitalize the importance of religious-based education by parents, which he claimed would safeguard all children from the "pollution" of immoral behavior.

Din said the fourth demand was to monitor entertainment programs and material in all electronic, printed and cyber content of media outlets, some of which could be morally damaging, especially pornography and violent programs.

“The national press should function well in entertaining, providing education, information and social control,” he added.

He said the fifth demand was to create a policy to promote good role models for the preservation of morals in every area of life, such as in families, schools and regional administrations.

The sixth demand is to strengthen institutions acting as guardians to maintain good morality in every structure of society.

“The last demand is to revitalize the philosophy of Pancasila and religious studies and their connection through the government's policies and commitment,” Din added.

He said the MUI also invited other civil society groups, including NGOs and individuals, to join its movement to create a new, moral collective consciousness.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq