Jakarta – A senior cleric has called on Muslims to boycott a new film about Islam's treatment of women, saying it "slanders" the religion.
The film, Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (Woman with a scarf around her neck), sullies the reputation of Islam, Ali Mustafa Yaqub, the lead cleric at Jakarta's main mosque, Istiqlal Grand Mosque, said, as reported by Agence France-Presse on Friday.
Directed by Hanung Bramantyo, the film tells the story of a student, the daughter of a conservative cleric, who rebels against the limitations put on women at an Islamic boarding school in Java.
"The impression the film gives of Islamic schools is regrettable and I'd be bold enough to say it doesn't hurt their image so much as slander them," Ali said.
"My advice is, just don't watch it. Period. "This film could create misunderstandings about Islam and Islamic schools," said Ali, who is also deputy on the fatwa commission of the powerful Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
Filmmaker Hanung has dismissed Ali's protest, saying the cleric was provoked by those opposed to the film to call for such a boycott.
"The imam wants to follow the voices of those wanting to slander the film. How could he make such a statement when he hasn't seen the movie?" he asked, as quoted by the detik.com news portal.
Hanung's 2008 Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of love) dealt with other Islamic issues, polygamy and religious prejudice, and became a runaway hit in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country.
The boycott call drew criticism from moderate Muslim scholar Siti Musdah Mulia. She said the film exposed the reality of many Indonesian Muslim women currently "oppressed" in the name of religion.
"I think the film uncovers the real condition of female Muslims. As Muslims, we don't like to see our religion stifling women. But practically, it is still like that," said Musdah, as quoted by detik.com.
She called on Muslims to defy the call and said the government should not ban the film.
Musdah, a senior lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN), also urged Muslims "not to easily anger" when encountering criticism about the discrimination Muslim women face.
"Muslims should be honest in facing this reality and recognize the fact that some ulema and religious leaders often offer misguided teachings on the rights and obligations of women in Islam," she added.
"This film tries to combat this misperception of Islam, including a teaching that bars Muslim women from leaving home (at night). It used to be like that," Musdah said. She is the first Indonesian woman to receive a doctorate in the field of political thought in Islam.