Makassar – The South Sulawesi branch of Indonesia's peak Islamic body the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) believes that the Makassar Fashion Week phenomena has the potential to damage the younger generation's morals because the clothing worn is not in accordance with Islamic law (syariat Islam).
South Sulawesi MUI Secretary KH Muammar Bakri says that using a zebra crossing as a catwalk is also not in accordance with religious standards or culture.
"Yes it has the potential to violate the principles of Islamic law. So it has the potential of damaging [young people's] morals", said Bakri on Tuesday July 26.
Bakri warned that the function of clothing under Islamic law is to cover a person's aurat – parts of the body that should not be seen in public. But he sees that much of the clothing being warn during Makassar Fashion week does not cover the aurat.
"If the clothing conflicts with the values of syariat, for example exposing the aurat, if the aurat is visible, then this also has the potential of incurring a sin", said Bakri.
According to Bakri, the Makassar Fashion Week could apply the principles of syariat law in the clothing worn by participants saying that this would be far better than clothing which exposes the aurat.
"It it doesn't violate the principles of Islamic law it would be great for it to promote things like Islamic clothing. That would be great", he said.
"But if it violates the values of syariat, exposes the aurat, clothing which isn't in its place, such as male clothing being worn by a women and the reverse, just because they want to follow a trend, that also has the potential of incurring a sin", he added.
Makassar Fashion Week is a youth phenomena which emerged after the Citayam Fashion Week in Jakarta went viral. Young people in provincial capital of Makassar followed the trend by holding similar activities at the Center Point of Indonesia.
Aside from Makassar, young people in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya have also held similar activities. Centred on Jalan Tunjungan, large numbers of young people have attended the events. In the end however, the Surabaya government Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officials disbanded the event because it was disrupting traffic.
Likewise also in Jakarta. The local government is preparing an alternative location which will not disrupt traffic for young people who want to be involved in Citayam Fashion Week.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "MUI Kritik Makassar Fashion Week karena Busana Tak Tutup Aurat".]