SEAToday.coom, Jakarta - "Kiblat" by Leo Pictures has recently sparked controversy on social media. Many netizens have criticized the film, calling it a religious horror that is not educational, blasphemous, and designed to scare people away from religious practices.
This criticism stems from the movie poster, which features a woman in a ruku position (bowing in prayer). However, her body and face are looking up, which some find disrespectful.
The controversy has also caught the attention of Cholil Nafis, Dakwah Commission Head of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). In a post on his Instagram account (@cholilnafis), he expressed his concerns.
"I haven't seen the film yet, so I can't comment on its content. But the poster image is disturbing, and the title 'Kiblat' (meaning 'direction of prayer') is confusing. The only meaning of Kiblat I know is the Kaaba, the direction Muslims face when praying. If this film accurately portrays Islamic prayer, then it's inappropriate for release and could be seen as a smear campaign against religious teachings. Therefore, I believe the film should be withdrawn and not screened," he wrote in the caption.