Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation on earth with more than 180 million claiming the Islamic faith, is currently being rocked by a single singer, Inul Daratista, who has charmed men and offended women as well as Indonesia’s Muslim scholars, or Ulema, with her erotic styles of dance and performance. Inul has openly challenged the morality and the increasing Islamic conservatism that is slowly sweeping the largely liberal Indonesian society.

What has concerned some in Indonesia is Inul’s “Ngebor” dance, which roughly translates to “drilling”. This style of dance has sparked condemnation from some members of the local Ulema. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has advised Inul to repent her ways and to put an end to her “devilish” dancing. They say her dancing style and clothing is haram (Islamically forbidden) and immoral.

Although the council has chosen not to issue a “fatwa” against Inul, it has said that her dance falls under the jurisdiction of previous fatwas issued against pornographic and erotic materials. This is a first in Indonesian entertainment history. Never before have the Indonesian Ulema taken such a strong stance against a local singer.

A decade ago, under the rule of General Suharto such a performance by Inul would never have made it to the local TV stations. Her days would have been spent in shallow discotheques called “dangdut” hangouts where locals and foreigners would throw money at her for her daring performances. But in a reversal of trends, dangdut is now the most popular music in Indonesia and most TV stations have regular dangdut programs.

In the more liberal, post-Suharto social climate, certain segments of Indonesia society have seen a backlash against the years of strict conservatism. For some, a loosening of the moral cannons has been welcomed and Inul seems to be a product of this moral unraveling.

The liberals in Jakarta were, however, surprised when the House of Representatives (DPR) announced it would consider holding hearings with Inul to ascertain her real motives as a “dangdut” dancer. Members of the DPR said they felt her “irresponsible behavior could affect the country's glorious image in the international community”.

Inul became an instant success with men in Jakarta this past January when she first “exposed” her dancing techniques at a performance in one of the most populous areas of the huge metropolitan city. A video clip of the performance was forwarded to Islam Online and it depicts Inul scantily dressed and dancing in a suggestive and erotic fashion in front of an eager audience of Indonesian men.

Interviewed by local TV stations, the singer said she would agree to change her style of dress, but would keep her dancing style, arguing that it is a “copyright” or trademark of hers. While the SCTV television station is still airing her erotic moves on air, steps have been taken in several quarters to impose moral standards in Indonesia, a monumental task despite the fact that the country is almost entirely Muslim.

Inul, however, is determined to defy the societal norms and is planning to go ahead with a video CD of the ngebor and of other sensual songs in the near future.

The tussle between the singer and the Indonesian Ulema is a test for the future of artistic expressions in Indonesia, which is slowly moving into a new age of Islamic concerns over morality and freedom of expression.  

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