Religion, Music and Politics in Indonesia

Religion, Music and Politics in Indonesia
By Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta

Just recently, the management of Lady Gaga has canceled the plan to have her to perform in Indonesia. The reason of their cancelation was to concern on the security issues.  We all wonder why Lady Gaga has been rejected in several countries to welcome her globe tour to Asia. Despite she had condemned both in Manila and Seoul, she still did the show there. However, in Indonesia she canceled her show.

People around this globe appreciate to her artistic works on making her music to alive, but at the same time even in USA, her provocative symbols and religious languages to be accommodated into her show have created protests from many religious bodies. Her unique music which contains deep meaning in a very simple way of singing has tied many young people around the globe. She has used music to advocate human rights issues to relate with those who have marginalized due to their special sexual differences.

For me as an anthropologist and a theologian, reading the rejection of our society to the performance of Lady Gaga, has to relate with the fact that religion needs to be respected. Many people think that Lady Gaga is an immoral singer. She does not respect to any religious institutions. However, I found something different with her. 

Lady Gaga is a person with a deep spirituality but also a smart girl. Before she became a songwriter, she started writing critics on music and social issues during her study at New York University, Tisch School of Art. Now she is a very productive songwriter on the theme of religions, sexuality, social issues like  politics of the marginal people etc.

Her outstanding stage performance tries showing the real life of people to whom she sings about them. When she sings Judas, actually according to my understanding, she wants to let this world knowing that in human heart there is always a tension between being attractive to demon or to God. I think she appears to be honest in her show however, perhaps in other culture it looks too vulgar.

If this is the base of our reason, which is because of her vulgarity to express artistic mood relating with the use of her sexual performance, in Indonesia to reject her, is the best than to let this world knows our rejection because of treating action from a particular religious group to the show. If it is the case, it shows that our government cannot lead this country well, because they are being dictated by the group which tends to use violence to manage the life of a society.

What can we value more on this phenomena especially to think about to what extend the roles of religions have to be interwined into the public life of people including to determine to the government's decision to all people. This is a very hard question to be discussed in the context of our society. I wonder whether could be hard also at other contexts and countries around this globe?