Jakarta – After a two-hour meeting deliberating whether they would grant US pop diva Lady Gaga a recommendation to perform in Jakarta, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) decided on Tuesday that it would stick to its original decision rejecting the artist.

The meeting ended with a unanimous vote by MUI's leaders to reject Gaga's planned June 3 concert at Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta. The reason for this, according to MUI official Aminudin Yakub, is that "Lady Gaga will destroy the morals of the nation's youth".

Another MUI official, Asrorun Niam, said that the artist "is at odds with the nation's belief in the one and only God" and that she "debases religion".

"Lady Gaga is a pornography icon. She is anti-God and supports freedom without limits," said Asrorun Sholeh, an MUI commission secretary, on Tuesday, as quoted by tempo.co.

The MUI also said that Gaga's concert was not suitable with current Indonesian conditions where there were a lot of people suffering from starvation while the "Pocker Face" singer's concert was considered nothing but hedonism.

The National Police had said on Monday that concert promoters need to get recommendations from the MUI and the Religious Affairs Ministry before they can issue a permit.

They also wanted recommendations from the Tourism Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Director General of Immigration over Lady Gaga's visa and the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry.

The National Police also wanted promoters to provide a copy of a permit from the management of Bung Karno Stadium. Only then will the National Police issue a permit for Gaga's concert.

More than 50,000 tickets, with prices ranging from Rp 465,000 (US$50.75) to Rp 2.25 million, have been sold for the Grammy Award-winner's concert since they went on sale on March 10. (png)