Regulation of Sex-Themed Visual Imagery in the Muslim World

Until very recently, the expression “sex-themed Islamic imagery,” or “erotic Islamic art,” would have been considered a contradiction in terms. This is because sex-themed visual imagery, whether in real space or cyberspace, is one of the most unwelcome forms of media content in the Arab-Islamic world. Indeed, sex is a “taboo” subject in virtually all Muslim countries (Hafez, 2002). Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, is illustrative of this reality. In 2007, it came face to face with the reality of the omnipresence of sex-themed visual imagery in our globalized, interconnected world. The Djakarta Post reported that in 2007, Erwin Arnada, editor of Playboy Indonesia, was prosecuted for violating his overwhelmingly Muslim country’s indecency laws through the publication of Playboy, the flagship magazine of global sexual capitalism. Indonesia also happens to be the largest Muslim country in the world in terms of population. During Arnada’s trial, the court was packed with members of Islamic groups who were offended that he was peddling the “moral decadence” of the Western world in Indonesia. The activists repeatedly interrupted court proceedings with shouts of “Hang him, hang him!” (Dhume, 2007). Interestingly, Playboy Indonesia, which had been launched in 2006, featured no nudity and no explicit sex acts. Nevertheless, Indonesian police investigated the two females who had been featured in the premiere edition of Playboy Indonesia for violation of the country’s public indecency laws.