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The Sun
26th April 2006

'Sepet' and 'Gubra' draw controversy
Bissme S.

PETALING JAYA: Are Yasmin Ahmad's films 'Sepet' and 'Gubra' a threat to Malay Muslim culture? Is she guilty of corrupting and confusing her viewers?

On Sunday night (April 23, 2006), two critics on RTM1's live programme 'Fenomena Seni' charged that the award-winning film director - also known for her Petronas advertisements - has defiled Malay Muslim culture through her two movies.

But others have countered these criticisms, saying Yasmin's movies show that Islam promotes tolerance and compassion.
'Fenomena Seni' panelist, film producer Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman, said on the show that the 'bilal' character in 'Gubra', now playing in cinemas, should not have been shown cooking in the kitchen.

"A pious wife would not allow her husband to cook," she said.
The other panelists were 'Berita Harian' assistant entertainment editor and film critic Akmal Abdullah and veteran film director Hassan Mutalib.

Raja Azmi and Akmal also charged that the 'bilal' in 'Gubra', who together with his wife, were friendly with sex workers in their neighbourhood, was unfit to be a 'bilal'.

"He should have called the religious authorities to catch them. What kind of 'bilal' allows these activities to continue in his neighbourhood?" Akmal said.

He added that it was confusing for Malay Muslims when Orked, the protagonist in 'Sepet', who was shown to be a pious Malay Muslim girl could fall in love with a Chinese 'kafir' (infidel) who was a criminal.

Sisters in Islam programme manager Norhayati Kaprawi, however, said it was incorrect to say that in Islam, only women should do the housework. "It is not stated in the Quran or the Hadith that it is only the wife's duty. In fact, the Prophet sewed his own clothes," she said.

Head of the Syariah Unit, Zakat Collection Centre for the Federal Territories, Uztaz Ahmad Shukri Yusoff, said the Prophet was known to have helped his wife in the kitchen. "Entering a kitchen doesn't degrade a man. If anything, it shows how much he loved his wife and it makes the husband-wife relationship more affectionate."

Yasmin declined to comment on the RTM panel discussion.

Norhayati, who has watched 'Gubra', says the movie is not an insult to Islam, adding that the movie promotes tolerance and compassion.
"It also shows a healthy relationship between husband and wife. All these points have been overlooked (by critics)," she said.
"There are many local movies that have elements that corrupt culture and I am a little surprised why only these two particular movies have been singled out."

Ahmad Shukri said even though he had yet to watch 'Gubra', he believes that Islam teaches its believers to respect others regardless of their profession and status, rather than judge them.

Norhayati added that the characters of the 'bilal' and his wife are also loosely based on the real-life characters of Ustaz Khoiron and his wife Roudatal, who set up a mosque in the red-light district of Bangunsari, Surabaya, in Indonesia.

Journalist Noor Azam Shari, who met and interviewed Uztaz Khoiron six years ago, said he was impressed with the man and his work.
"Why do we always have to play God and judge others?" he asked.