[JURIST] The Indonesian Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a controversial anti-pornography law. The law was purportedly designed to protect younger generations from pornographic and lewd materials. Critics challenged the bill for being too broad, discriminating against women, and targeting aspects of Indonesian tradition and culture, but the court rejected those arguments. Some areas of Indonesia, such as Bali, have refused to enforce the law. While Indonesia is officially secular, it is the world’s largest Muslim country by population, and some areas are ruled by Sharia law.
The Indonesian Parliament passed the law in 2008, criminalizing all “obscene” works and “bodily movements” that could violate public morality. Proponents of the law included President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his administration, who claimed that the law would protect Islam and cultural art while eradicating pornography.