Thursday, December 25, 2008

Iran leader's Christmas message decries bullies

Iran's president is offering season's greetings to Christians in a British TV address and suggests that if Jesus were alive, he would oppose "bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers" - an apparent reference to the U.S. and its allies.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Christmas Day broadcast will be delivered on Britain's Channel 4 television, occupying a slot that provides an often controversial counterpoint to Queen Elizabeth II's traditional annual message, the station said Wednesday. A leading British Jewish group said it was appalled.

According to a transcript released in advance, Ahmadinejad says most of the world's problems stem from leaders who have turned against religion. The Muslim president doesn't refer to rival nations or leaders by name or mention Israel, despite his past calls to wipe it out.

"If Christ were on Earth today, undoubtedly he would hoist the banner of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over," Ahmadinejad said, according to the English translation of the Farsi-language speech. The broadcast will air with subtitles.

The U.S., Britain and others suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its uranium enrichment program is intended solely for a civilian energy program.

Ties with Britain were further strained in 2007 when Iran held 15 British sailors and marines prisoner for 13 days.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews - which represents the Jewish community in the United Kingdom - said the broadcast was offensive. "To invite him to deliver a Christmas message, even a so-called alternative one, fills me with disgust," said the group's president, Henry Grunwald.

The Israeli ambassador to London condemned the speech as a "bogus message of good will."

"That (Channel 4) should give an unchallenged platform to the president of a regime which denies the Holocaust, advocates the destruction of the sovereign state of Israel, funds and encourages terrorism, executes children and hangs gay people is a disgrace," Ron Prosor said. "Outrage doesn't begin to explain it."

British human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell echoed the comments, saying the broadcaster was "aiding and abetting a tyrant."

"This is the equivalent of giving (Zimbabwean ruler) Robert Mugabe a prime-time television slot to promote his propaganda," he said.

Previous guests of Channel 4's Christmas slot have included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sharon Osborne and the animated TV character Marge Simpson of "The Simpsons." Last year's message was delivered by Sgt. Maj. Andrew Stockton, a British soldier badly wounded in Afghanistan.

Dorothy Byrne, Channel 4's head of news and current affairs, said Ahmadinejad was picked because Iran's relations with the West would likely remain a big global issue in 2009.

"As the leader of one of the most powerful states in the Middle East, President Ahmadinejad's views are enormously influential. As we approach a critical time in international relations, we are offering our viewers an insight into an alternative world view," Byrne said.

The channel broadcast an interview with Ahmadinejad in September 2007, when he insisted Iran wasn't seeking to develop a nuclear weapon.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Asian gay, transgender groups fight for their rights

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in Asia have agreed to develop an international network to advocate protection of their rights in their respective countries and at the regional level.

Bali hosted a conference of the groups from June 2 to 6 in the tourism enclave Nusa Dua. The conference was attended by 21 participants from eight countries -- Indonesia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China and Thailand.

"We agreed to make some kind of international network to advocate protection of LGBT rights in our countries," Rido Triawan, head of Arus Pelangi, an Indonesian non-governmental organization that fights for LGBT rights, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said it would be like an open communication channel connecting LGBY communities in different countries, so that when there was a problem in one country the communities could work in unison to apply political pressure on the government in question.

Generally, Rido said, LGBT communities in Asia faced similar problems.

"We are all at this time suffering from stigmatization, discrimination, persecution from religious groups and discriminative government regulations," he said.

"For example, the 2004 regional regulation in Palembang, South Sumatra, categorizes LGBT as a form of prostitution," Rido said.

He said religious-based persecution was the most difficult problem LGBT groups faced in Indonesia.

"Those religious doctrines are then being integrated into the formal education curriculum. Naturally, the curriculum educates the students that the only 'normal' and accepted sexual orientation is heterosexuality," he said.

Consequently, other sexual orientations are considered as not "normal" and unacceptable.

This has resulted in students and communities discriminating against members of the homosexual and transgender community.

"There are many cases of discrimination experienced by members of the LGBT community. One example involved a man who openly acknowledged his sexual orientation of being gay. Suddenly, his company fired him for no apparent reason," Rido said.

He said other gay workers faced varying levels of hostility from co-workers.

"They suddenly keep a distance or, even worse, socially isolate him just because he is gay," he said.

He said upholding the rights of the LGBT community was a significant issue since sexual orientation was also part of human rights.

Rido said the LGBT community in Indonesia just wanted to be acknowledged and treated the same as the other Indonesian citizens, who enjoyed the right to education, health, work and all the other basic human rights.

"It is still very hard for people to accept the fact that LGBT are also human beings, who should be treated humanely," said Arus Pelangi secretary general, Yuli Rustinawati.

A Sri Lankan LGBT activist, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, said the situation in Sri Lanka was worse than in Indonesia.

"Being part of LGBT communities in Sri Lanka is similar to committing a criminal offense. That's the reason why people with LGBT sexual orientation prefer to be invisible," she said.

She said members of the LGBT community in her country who fell victim to criminal acts often didn't report their cases to the police, because the treatment they would receive could be worse than the perpetrators of the criminal acts.

She said she participated in LGBT conferences and seminars around the world to learn about human rights instruments that could be used to advance the struggle in her country.

Friday, December 5, 2008

California gay-marriage ban creates uncertainty

An estimated 1,000 protesters took to the streets over California's new ban on gay marriage Thursday as the political turmoil and legal confusin over who should have right to wed deepened.

Legal experts said it is unclear whether an attempt by gay-rights activists to overturn the prohibition has any chance of success, and whether the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed in California oer the past four months are in any danger.

California voters Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment disallowing gay marriage. The measure, which won 52 percent approval, overrides a California Supreme Court ruling last May that briefly gave same-sex couples the right to wed.

On Thursday, about 1,000 gay-marriage supporters demonstrated outside a Mormon temple in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Sign-waving demonstrators spilled onto Santa Monica Boulevard, bringing afternoon traffic to a halt. The temple was targeted because the Mormon church strongly supported the ban on gay marriage.

"I'm disappointed in the Californians who voted for this," said F. Damion Barela, 43, a Studio City resident who married his husband nearly five months ago. He noted that nearly 70 percent of black voters and a slight majority of Hispanic voters voted for the ban.

"To them I say, 'Shame on you because you should know what this feels like,"' he said.

On Wednesday night, police in Los Angeles arrested seven people as more than 1,000 protesters blocked traffic in West Hollywood. One man was wrestled to the ground by police after he jumped up and down on the roof of a squad car. Another man was clubbed by police. Hundreds of protesters also gathered on the steps of San Francisco's City Hall, some holding candles and carrying signs that read, "We all deserve the freedom to marry."

Gay-marriage proponents filed three court challenges Wednesday against the new ban. The lawsuits raise a rare legal argument: that the ballot measure was actually a dramatic revision of the California Constitution rather than a simple amendment. A constitutional revision must first pass the Legislature before going to the voters.

"Where do you draw the line between 'revision' and 'an amendment' when those are words in conversation we would use interchangeably?" asked Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Irvine law school. "It's a highly technical legal question in a highly charged political atmosphere."

Andrew Pugno, attorney for the coalition of religious and social conservative groups that sponsored the amendment, called the lawsuits "frivolous and regrettable."

"It is time that the opponents of traditional marriage respect the voters' decision," he said.

The high court has not said when it will act. State officials said the ban on gay marriage took effect the morning after the election.

With many gay newlyweds worried about what the amendment does to their vows, California Attorney General Jerry Brown said he believes those marriages are still valid. But he is also preparing to defend that position in court.

"I wish I could be comforted by Attorney General Brown's statement that it has no retroactivity," said Loyola Law School professor Bill Araiza, who married his same-sex partner Oct. 29. "But it's in flux and I just don't know."

The amendment does not explicitly say whether it applies to those already married. Legal experts said unless there is explicit language, laws are not normally applied retroactively.

"Otherwise a Pandora's Box of chaos is opened," said Stanford University law school professor Jane Schacter. Still, Schacter cautioned that the question of retroactivity "is not a slam dunk."

An employer, for instance, could deny medical benefits to an employee's same-sex spouse. The worker could then sue the employer, giving rise to a case that could determine the validity of the 18,000 marriages.

Supporters of the ban said they will not seek to invalidate the marriages already performed and will leave any legal challenges to others.

A 2003 California law already gives gays registered as domestic partners nearly all the state rights and responsibilities of married couples when it comes to such things as taxes, estate planning and medical decisions. That law is still in effect.

Only Massachusetts allows same-sex marriages, while Connecticut is expected to begin sanctioning them this month. Several states allow civil unions.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

On gay partnership

Once again, the readers of The Jakarta Post could enjoy Paul Kokoski's version of true Catholic moral teachings.

Once more, Paul Kokoski, in line with other fundamentalists of any kind, seems to be mainly occupied with gay bashing. This cold-hearted version of ultra-conservative Catholicism is completely unacceptable to the great majority of people in the West, including Christians.

Here, we agree with reader Cornelius S. Widyatmoko from Yogyakarta: Compassion is needed not blame. Luckily, I happen to live in a democratic country where people can vote about new laws.

The Swiss parliament approved a gay partnership law two years ago, which was immediately opposed by the political right, including, of course, some fundamentalist Christians.

When people had to vote, however, an unexpected 58 percent said ""no"" to the fanatics and ""yes"" to the law. Understandably, the Vatican was not amused and openly criticized this new and democratically approved law.

Hopefully, Indonesian Catholics along with moderate people of any religion will just stick to the traditional tolerance deeply rooted in their societies and say no to the fanatics who misuse their religion to take away the personal freedom of individuals.

EDI REY
Langwiesen, Switzerland

Gay community wants fair media coverage

Yustine (not her real name) says she feels more comfortable in the glittering Seminyak area near Kuta in Bali than in her hometown in Java.

A member of Bali's gay and transvestite community, she has been working as a singer and hairstylist on the island for the past two years.

""I came from Banyuwangi, East Java, a place where I could not live in a peaceful way,"" she said at a recent group discussion on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community here in Seminyak.

At home, her family and friends refused to accept that she was a transvestite, regarding her as a ""mistake"" and the ""loser"" of the family.

""People have the perception that we are criminals, sinners that should be dumped somewhere in garbage bins,"" Yustine said.

The LGBT community says it has faced biased and negative media coverage over the years.

Danny Yatim, media advisor to the Indonesian HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project (IHPCP) told participants that he agreed that the media played a major role in shaping people's perceptions of the community.

""The majority of mainstream media in Indonesia and in the world has so far built a perception that the world is divided into two sides -- male and female only,"" Danny said.

The media, he added, created stereotypes for each gender, portraying male as only masculine and women as only feminine.

""This stereotyping emerges almost everywhere in both print and electronic media. To give an example, I saw an ad for a famous instant noodle brand in which the mother cooks the noodles, while the father and sons wait to taste the meal,"" Danny said.

Such domestic stereotyping of women and men has been shaped by society, ""but the media has widely legitimized this communal effort,"" Danny said.

He said there were a number of negative perceptions associated with the LGBT community.

""The gay community has always been associated with pedophiles, homosexual persons who always prey on (young) sex targets. They are often regarded as weird and comical (people who) deserve to be laughed at,"" said Danny, who is a psychologist and university lecturer.

Danny said that the community also suffered from various types of social and professional discrimination.

""Such discrimination occurs in real life, media, films, and so on,"" he added.

Didik Yudianto, director of Gaya Dewata Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides advocacy and support to the gay community in Bali, shared this opinion.

""We are still not accepted within traditional, religious and moral concepts. The media has taken a great part in shaping these values,"" said Didik, a veterinarian.

""The media is more focused on the negative activities of members of our community. News coverage centers on drugs, sex and crime,"" Didik said.

He added that many people in the community were working hard as lecturers, volunteers, experts, artists, doctors and many other professions and that they were excelling in their fields.

""It is very sad to hear the harsh words some people use when referring to us,"" Didik said.

A journalist who took part in the discussion said that it was difficult to get proper information because many of the community members were too shy or too reluctant to open up.

""We have been trying to write balanced and fair coverage. But, many times they do not want to speak up,"" she said.

Danny said it was true that many people in the gay community did not have the courage or support required to reveal their sexual identities.

""The term 'out of the closet' is still rare in Indonesia because of our cultural and moral values,"" Danny said.

People in the West have begun to accept that the gay community is part of a dynamic society, he said.

""It really requires a lot of understanding, compassion and non-judgmental behavior in order to accept this community into our multi-cultural society,"" Danny said.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Top ten theatrical releases of 2008

In a year that saw an increase in the number of films being screened at local theaters, there were plenty of choose from in 2008, but only a handful of excellent ones. The Jakarta Post's contributor Iskandar Liem picks ten of the best, in chronological order of release.

Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet! (They Say I'm A Monkey!)

Adjeng is a writer constantly shadowed by childhood demons.

Alternating effortlessly between the past and the present, the film charts her toxic relationship with her movie star has-been mother and the ramifications of juvenile sexual abuse.

Unflinching in its brutal honesty and fluid in its visual allegory, this adaptation of her own book marks controversial author Djenar Maesa Ayu's directorial debut, heralding a rebellious new voice in Indonesian cinema.

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

Produced by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), this Spanish export tells of a woman who moves to an ominous orphanage with her family, only to have her six-year-old son vanish. This tale of her valiant efforts to find him works on two levels: On one hand, it's an effective ghost story that piles on the tension and chills (not to mention a couple of scream-worthy jolts) and on the other, it's a deeply emotional tale of unyielding maternal love that's deceptively simple yet tender. How often does one movie manage to terrify and touch an audience within a two-hour span?

The Fall

It was a given that renowned music video director Tarsem's sophomore feature film effort was going to be visually resplendent, but who knew it would be this tour de force of cinematic storytelling as well? Shot in over 20 countries including Indonesia, the story of a bedridden stunt man telling a fable to a little Romanian girl transcends the reality of the hospital they're in and the imaginary realms of the fable. Made more remarkable is that virtually all of the scenes are played out in improvised dialogue, creating an indelible chemistry among the two leads, one of whom is a six-year-old without prior acting experience.

Atonement

One fateful day in the life of an affluent English family, young Briony Tallis tells a slanderous lie that brings unthinkable repercussions to her older sister Cecilia, their family's gardener Robbie and herself.

Set against World War II and chronicling Briony's lifelong desire for penance, it features notable performances (James MacAvoy's Robbie and an Oscar-nominated debut by Saoirse Ronan as Briony), gorgeous lensing (the much-lauded, five-minute tracking shot of a beachfront battleground comes to mind) and a heartrending revelation in the third act that haunts the audience long after the credits have rolled.

Juno

Not since Woody Allen's best comedies has there been a film that sparkles with so much witty banter with a huge heart at its core.

Rising star Ellen Page shines as Juno MacGuff, a teenager whose "shenanigans" with best friend Bleeker leaves her pregnant, hence deciding to give the baby to an adoptive couple (Jason Bateman and a beautifully understated Jennifer Garner).

Hardly the average teenager, Juno's acerbic conversational skills will put many English-speaking adults to shame, thanks to the Oscar-winning screenwriting debut of ex-stripper Diablo Cody.

Simply put, a feel-good gem of a film.

The Dark Knight

Films based on comic books have come so far.The Dark Knight possesses plenty of depth, often feeling like a classic crime saga with Batman, The Joker and Two Face forming an unholy trinity in an age-old clash between good, evil and everything in between.

Christopher Nolan's second Batman film underscores moral dilemmas in the story, courtesy of a fear-provoking final performance from the late Heath Ledger as the anarchic Joker, wreaking havoc on Batman's conscience.

The Mist

A group of people are trapped in a supermarket as a mysterious mist descends over the small town, bringing with it a myriad of otherworldly creatures. Based on a Stephen King novella, the true horror of this tale isn't in the monsters outside the supermarket, but in the things terrified individuals resort to for survival, as the group is gradually split into two warring factions.

Marcia Gay Harden gives an over-the-top yet spine-chilling performance as an incendiary religious zealot. A shamelessly entertaining Hollywood concoction that jaw-droppingly defies conventions at the 11th hour.

Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors)

This heartfelt adaptation of the first book in a popular literary quadrilogy has held the title of the biggest selling local film ever since its theatrical release three months ago.

Chronicling a group of poor children and their struggle for education in rural Sumatra along with their two dedicated teachers, director Riri Riza takes the viewers on a joyous and heartbreaking journey set against the breathtaking vistas of Belitong Island, culminating in one of the most poignant endings ever committed to Indonesian celluloid.

Truly a film that makes audiences' hearts soar on their way out of the theater.

*Rec*

A Spanish TV crew gets trapped in an apartment building quarantined by the authorities, as it contains a contagious affliction that turns humans into flesh eating zombies.

Told from the perspective of the camera, this Blair Witch Project concept is executed with brute efficacy, gradually amping up the tension until it reaches fever pitch in its final moments. Its practically shot-by-shot U.S. remake Quarantine is currently in cinemas now, but it's still inferior to the petrifying power of the original.

Zwartboek (Black Book)

Finally arriving on local screens after being released two years ago in its home turf, this Dutch World War II thriller revolves around a Jewish woman who joins the resistance to infiltrate the Nazis, only to end up being an enemy to both sides.

Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven's forte may not be subtlety, but he tells his wartime epic with such a master stroke -- there's no plot twist in its two-and-a-half hour running time.

Ceaselessly compelling.

Honourable mentions: Edith Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose with Marion Cotillard's career best as the doomed chanteuse, the nihilistic greed and violence of Liam Neeson of No Country For Old Men seeking his kidnapped daughter in the relentless Taken, the tender coming-of-age Danish vampire flick Let The Right One In, local anthologies Love and Perempuan Punya Cerita (Chants of Lotus). (The Jakarta Post)