A popular Indonesian preacher has told Muslims to shun South Korean music because it 'promotes homosexuality and free sex'.
Fuadh Naim, who has almost 56,000 followers on Instagram, said that K-pop culture 'draws Muslims into the (hell) fire' by exposing them to LGBT relationships and lifestyles.
Speaking at a mosque in South Jakarta on Tuesday, Mr Fuadh admitted that he had previously been swept up in the 'Korean Wave', as South Korea's global cultural influence is often known.
But he is now campaigning against K-pop and has begged its Muslim fans to boycott its message and repent.
'(K-pop) offers something interesting, and refreshing like water, which actually draws Muslims into the fire (of hell),' Mr Fuadh said.
'Starting from today, let's move on and pour our hearts out for Allah and his prophet Muhammad.'
Mr Fuadh said that the Korean Wave promotes LGBT imagery, particularly 'skinship' - or close physical proximity between its male icons.
He said this ought to make religious followers of K-pop should feel uneasy, but instead the fans were excited to see the men on stage together. M
Many even create fan art or fan fiction depicting imagined relationships between male K-pop icons - and bestow portmanteau nicknames on them, such as 'Chanbaek' for Chanyeol and Baekhyun of boy band EXO and 'Jihope' for Jhope and Jimin from international sensation BTS.
Mr Fuadh has visited 30 Indonesian cities to deliver his message and says he plans to travel to many more.
'I get support from many people who share concerns about our young generation's morality,' Mr Fuadh told The Jakarta Post after the forum.
It is not the first time K-pop artists have found themselves in the cross-hairs of religious conservatives or fallen afoul of Indonesia's censors.
Last year, a TV ad featuring members of K-pop supergroup Blackpink dressed in miniskirts was banned because the national Broadcasting Commission deemed it indecent.
Indonesia is now reportedly drafting a national law that seeks to ban blasphemous and 'pornographic' music content, which has sparked concerns about freedom of expression in the world's biggest Muslim majority nation.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
