Buddha Bar row escalates with 'fatwa' against alcohol
The continuing controversy surrounding what once was the first Buddha Bar in Asia has led to a Buddhist organisation issuing the first religious edict reminding Indonesian followers that drinking alcohol is forbidden.
The Sangha Mahayana Indonesia issued a dharma nioga, an edict the group's Gunabhadra Mahasthavira described as like 'an Islamic fatwa'.
'It works like how a fatwa works for Muslims. It is a religious statement. It says what is allowed and what is not allowed for Buddhist people,' he said. 'In this case, we reminded Buddhists that drinking is not allowed. They should know that, since it is part of the basic teachings of Buddhism.'
The Sangha Mahayana Indonesia is a group of Indonesian Buddhist monks that functions as guardian of the Buddhist Mahayana teachings in the mostly Muslim country. It claims to have more than 100 monks.
Mr Gunabhadra said they felt the need to issue the edict because the storm surrounding the Buddha Bar might have led to confusion about the relationship between Buddhism and alcohol.
'The dharma nioga is not strictly related to the Buddha Bar, but since the case is not going away, we felt we should say it again and strengthen the message,' he said.
Jakarta became the first city in Asia to host a Buddha Bar franchise when the restaurant opened for business in the exclusive neighbourhood of Menteng in November. The first outlet opened in Paris in 1996.
The bar was welcomed by a string of protests, with Buddhist organisations picketing and sealing off the venue several times, demanding a name change and the removal of Buddhist-style ornaments.
On March 2, the Sangha Mahayana Indonesia issued what it said was a 'a binding ruling' that Indonesian Buddhists reject the Buddha Bar.
The name was changed to Bataviasche Kunstkring, but the interior remains unchanged so the controversy has continued. Bataviasche Kunstkring has since sued the Jakarta tourism agency, which first allowed it to use the Buddha Bar name.
The restaurant management argues that if the name was a problem, it should not have been allowed to use it in the first place.
During a hearing of the case on Monday, a representative of the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum demanded that the ornaments should be removed too. The forum comprises several Buddhist organisations, including the Sangha Mahayana Indonesia.
