"I agree that we should be more selective towards the many interventions of foreign culture."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Ahmad Basarah, a member of the House of Representatives` Commission III has expressed his agreement to the decision of the Indonesian police to deny the request for a permit for Lady Gaga`s concert from the organizer of the event.
Lady Gaga, an internationally recognized pop icon, is famous for her crazy antics, such as wearing a dress entirely made out of meat for an awards show. Basarah, a politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), is not a fan of the singer , stating his disapproval of her upcoming appearance in Indonesia.
"I agree that we should be more selective towards the many interventions of foreign culture or transoceanic ideologies that enter Indonesia," he told ANTARA News here on Tuesday.
Basarah said that the way the Indonesian police behaved is important to note, especially now than ever. He also said that Indonesians are experiencing a patriotic identity crisis within themselves.
However, he said that being more selective and firm will work as a prevention to keep foreign culture away from Indonesia.
"The scale of prevention needs to be based on common law as stated by the state`s five ideology principals, the Pancasila. Pancasila should be the source of all laws," he said.
Thus, he continued, the rejection faced by the organizers of Gaga`s concert in Jakarta by the Indonesian police through the regional police department as well as the state`s capital police force of Metro Jakarta Raya, needs to be acknowledged and praised.
"Especially since Gaga`s concert is predicted to showcase free expression,like they do in the west. We know that her stage demeanor will be extremely vulgar".
On the other side the legislator, who is also the secretary for the Indonesian Alumni Association (PPPA), reminded the Indonesian police force and Indonesian government to be fair when it comes to laying down the law based on the Pancasila.
"The police force will need to act more firmly towards the efforts of other organizations,such as those who want to showcase the culture of the middle east and their aspirations to establish Islamic law that contradicts not only the ideology written in the Pancasila, but also the democratic system we as a state have agreed on," he said.
He further stated that the Indonesian government should not discriminate when establishing the law. "If they deny the manifestations of a liberal- capitalism ideology such as Lady Gaga`s concert, then they also need to face and deny the ideologies imported from the Middle East that are forced upon fellow Indonesians and our local culture. This needs to be adressed firmly".
He points out the Salihara Institute case, where people are banned from book discussions as well as the disperse of discussion groups.He says that this is a real life case in which a group of people have forced the transnational ideology of the middle east to be applied within the Indonesian law.
"We did not allow them to force their ideologies upon us, and Indonesian residents who are committed to the Pancasila will definitely reject those ideologies.We already have a local knowledge and culture led by the Pancasila, our nation`s ideology, the source of all our national laws," Basarah said.
(Uu.AH/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
