The Islamic Defenders Front, FPI, have found new meaning in their lives with the publication of an Indonesian version of Playboy magazine.

While most of the time the young hooligans of the Front have little to do but sit about and read the Koran, pray, and knit, they now have a new mission, a new focus in their lives, all because of a tame fifties era version of Playboy.

Herewith we record the crazy antics of the Men In White, for posterity’s, and entertainment’s, sake.

Front Fanatics by the Campfire.

The picture above shows FPI members burning copies of Playboy in the city of Bandung, west Java. The men were also reported to have stomped on a few copies, angrily no doubt, and full of indignation what’s more.

In Bandung they also set up what are called “posko”, or action stations, where they attempted to enlist the support of passers-by. A table was placed, on the front of which was a piece of paper with the scrawl (Front men can write, it seems) “Posko Pendaftaran Relawan Mengganyang Playboy”, or “Registration Station for Volunteers To Crush Playboy”.

We will go to many places to give the opportunity to those who oppose Playboy to join our movement. We’re ready to fight.
(Kami akan mendatangi banyak tempat untuk memberikan kesempatan kepada masyarakat yang tidak setuju terhadap Playboy untuk bergabung dalam gerakan ini. Kita siap untuk menggayang.)

said Front man, Asep Syarifuddin.

The same man, Asep Syarifuddin, before beginning the public burnings, took a peak inside the magazine and was heard to exclaim repeatedly “This is pornographic!”, as he pointed to an offending picture in the magazine. At this prompt the rank and file of the Front then began the chant “Burn, burn” and the burning began, accompanied by aforementioned angry stomping.

Meanwhile in Jakarta the show rolled on with the FPI gathering at a police station to report the owners, editors, and models of the Playboy first edition for the crime of distributing pornography. Their leader, the overfed Habib Rizieq, also threatened the twenty-six companies which had placed adverts in Playboy. He left with the parting words:

The FPI is at war with Playboy and other pornographic media.
(FPI perang terhadap Playboy dan media pornografi lainnnya.)

After that the same group of holy warriors proceeded to the office building of Playboy in Indonesia and hurled rocks at it. Hundreds of police arrived and scuffles broke out as some police attempted to apprehend the rock throwers.

One can only echo the words of the former president Gus Dur and ask when, oh when will the authorities do something about the Islamic Defenders Front?