Lady Gaga Sends Love to
Indonesian Fans
Lady
Gaga told fans she was “devastated” at having to cancel her sold-out show in
Indonesia following threats by Islamic hard-liners, who called her a “devil
worshipper.”
Controversy
over the concert is a blow to the predominantly Muslim country’s reputation as
a tolerant, pluralist society that respects freedom of expression.
Some
fans accused police — who refused to issue a permit over concerns about
security — of buckling to the will of a small group of thugs.
“We
had to cancel the concert in Indonesia,” the 26-year-old pop diva tweeted to
her followers Sunday night after promoters acknowledged concerns about her own
safety and that of her “Little Monster” fans if the show went ahead.
“I’m
so very sorry to the fans & just as devastated as you if not more,” she
wrote. “You are everything to me.”
Indonesia,
a secular nation of 240 million, is often held up by the US and others an
example of how democracy and Islam and can coexist. In many ways they are
right. Since emerging from dictatorship just over a decade ago, sweeping
reforms have resulted in direct elections, while vastly improving human rights
and freeing up the media.
But
a small extremist fringe has become more vocal — and violent — in recent years,
attacking Christians and members of other religious minorities, transvestites,
atheists and anyone else deemed immoral.
The
most notorious, the Islamic Defenders Front, said Lady Gaga’s sexy clothes and
provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth. They vowed to turn out at the
airport by the thousands if Lady Gaga arrived. Others said they bought tickets
so they could wreak havoc from inside the 52,000-seat stadium in the capital,
Jakarta.
Police
responded by denying the necessary permits. Then, after public outcry, they
said they’d reconsider — but only if Lady Gaga agreed to tone down her act.
Instead,
she pulled the plug on what was supposed to be the biggest stop on her Asian
tour.
Michael
Rusli, head of Big Daddy, promised “Little Monster” fans full refunds.
But
that provided little consolation to people like 25-year-old Johnny Purba.
“This
only shows to the world how weak security forces are in this country, how
police are afraid of a bunch of hard-liners,” he said.
“Gaga’s
two-hour show will not hurt Indonesian Muslims. For God’s sake, she is not a
terrorist!”
Hard-liners,
however, were ecstatic.
“This
is a victory for Indonesian Muslims,” said Salim Alatas, one of the leaders of
the Islamic Defenders Front. “Thanks to God for protecting us from a kind of devil.”
Comment:
In my opinion, lady gaga concert that will not
damage the morale of the nation's only because the open-dressed lady gaga, lady
gaga because the party would be to adjust the style of the clothing of
Indonesia, and any bias gaga lagy approve regulations - regulations in
Indonesia, without any contradiction as widely reported in talking about
lately. FPI may only see the bad side of the dress lady gaga without
considering the advantages of art and lady gaga, giving rise to the pros and
cons between fans lady gaga or the so-called "Little Monster" by the
Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), and FINALLY was very unfortunate because FPI was
the one who won the Pros and Cons of the flare in talking about lately. Lady
Gaga fans were disappointed to hear the bad news that the lady gaga concert
canceled dijakarta to be planned on the 3rd of June next
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar