Extremists win the Lady Gaga saga

The US pop singer Lady Gaga will not perform in the country as part of her “Born This Way Ball Tour 2012”, dealing another blow to the country’s much-touted freedom of expression.

Local promoter Big Daddy Entertainment’s executive Michael Rusli told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday that Gaga’s management had called him earlier that morning to cancel her performance in the capital.

“We have already received a call from Gaga’s management that the singer had called off her concert in the capital,” said Michael.

Radical Muslim groups have expressed strong opposition to the show, previously scheduled for June 3.

Jakarta-based Driyarkara School of Philosophy sociologist B. Herry Priyono said that the government had once again been powerless in the face of small groups of firebrands that imposed their views on the broader society.

“In this saga, we have two sides. One side wants to promote what Lady Gaga stands for, and the other stands against it. Apparently, the country’s law could not be used to prevent the promotion of [Lady Gaga’s} musical content, however unbecoming it is. The law can only be applied to those who used violence to reject Lady Gaga, and the police have not done anything,” Herry told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

The Setara Institute, a human rights watchdog, said the gig’s cancellation reflected a government that was weak in the face of intolerant political groups,

“The state authorities should have guaranteed freedom of expression and security. These are rights guaranteed in our Constitution and in our laws,” Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said on Sunday.

Big Daddy Entertainment said that the 26-year-old singer’s management decided to cancel the planned concert due to “security concerns”.

Big Daddy’s lawyer, Minola Sebayang, said that Gaga’s management had decided to not take any risks that might put the singer, her crew members or ticket buyers in harm’s way.

“Gaga’s camp did not want this show to cause any harm to anybody,” said Minola.

Gaga, known for her over-the-top live performances and eccentric fashion sense, has been the target of backlash from hard-line groups in Indonesia.

Via her Twitter account on late Saturday, Gaga hinted that her refusal to play Jakarta could have something to do with staunch opposition from Muslim hard-liner groups.

“There is nothing holy about hatred,” said Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Michael said that all 52,000 tickets that had been purchased for the show would be refunded.

“We will refund the tickets that have already been bought. We will announce the procedures on Wednesday,” he added.

Contacted separately, Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s director general for cultural value, arts, and film Ukus Kuswara said that the show’s cancellation would not prompt other foreign performers to have second thoughts about performing here.

“I believe that Indonesia will remain an interesting destination as well as a potential market for international musicians. In the future, we will have to improve communication between related parties,” he added.

The ministry’s data showed that around 12,000 foreign tourists from Australia, the Philippines, and other ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries had bought tickets and booked rooms in three- and four-star hotels in Jakarta to watch the show.

Islam Defenders Front (FPI) spokesman Munarman said he “thanked God” for the cancellation, saying that the show “would only have been for stupid people”.

“Alhamdulillah [praise the Lord] that the concert was canceled. Only idiots welcome this kind of entertainment exposing stupidity and women’s nudity,” Munarman said. (The Jakarta Post)