New version of Playboy magazine to respect Muslim values

A proposed version of Playboy magazine in the world's most populous Islamic nation will respect Muslim values and not contain photos of naked women, the publishers said Friday. "It will have a greater emphasis on the literary qualities" of its parent magazine, said Ponti Carolus, the director of the company that plans to publish the magazine in Indonesia. Muslim groups have lined up to denounce the plan to launch the magazine since last week's announcement by publishers that they had secured a license from Playboy in the United States. "We understand there has been resistance recently," said Carolus. "This will be input for us as we craft the magazine." The publisher has said the magazine could hit newsstands as soon as March.

Playboy in the United States has declined to comment on the proposed plan.

Carolus was speaking after lobbying members of Indonesia's National Press Council, an industry body formed to supervise the media. Carolus said he planned to meet with Muslim leaders in the coming weeks to persuade them that they had nothing to fear from the magazine.

Pornography is illegal in Indonesia, but widely available. Scantily clad women are a staple of local magazines aimed at men, and foreign publications like FHM already publish local editions. Most Indonesians practice a moderate form of Islam, and many women shun standard Middle Eastern practices by not covering their head and often dressing in tight fitting clothing, reports the AP.

D.M.