Singapore’s censorship board allowed the film to be screened uncensored and with an R21 rating due to its adult themes and homosexual content.
Salam Gembira is being screened at Filmguard Cineplex in Leisure Park Kalan and after its initial screening on June 30, its run has been extended till July 31.
“When you talk about being gay and Muslim, it’s a no-no. There’s no room for discussion,” the film’s co-producer and screenwriter Remi M. Sarri told This Week in Asia in an interview.
Remi M. Sarri, co-producer and screenwriter of the Singaporean film “Salam Gembira.” Photo: Studio59 Concepts
He noted that the makers had tried to make the film more accessible to conservative Singaporeans by minimising physical contact between gay characters and setting the story overseas.
“We thought it was important to start a debate after the repeal, to show how Malay-Muslim families can deal with situations like this, but the problem is that people tend to have tunnel vision,” Remy added, referring to Singapore’s repeal of laws criminalising homosexuality on Jan 3 last year.
He said the film’s makers also sought advice from religious leaders to ensure an accurate and sensitive portrayal of Islamic practices and beliefs.
Co-producer Ho Pak Kin said he did not expect the backlash to be so fierce: “It’s just labelled ‘haram’ so there’s no dialogue. It’s like, a gay person can’t be a Muslim and a Muslim can’t be gay, and that’s the end of the discussion.”
In a TikTok post from a Reddit thread about the film’s release, which had garnered more than 3,900 likes and 1,800 shares as of Friday, one online user wrote, “Next we’ll be eating pork products,” while another wrote, “Singapore has fallen.”
Mohammed Imran Mohammed Taib, founding director of the Dialogue Center, said the taboos surrounding LGBTQ issues in Muslim societies stem from feelings of fear, shame and disgust, which are natural and understandable.
Ho Pak Kin, co-producer of the Singaporean film “Salam Gembira.” Photo: Studio59 Concepts
“Taboos result from a lack of encounters, the prevalence of underlying assumptions and deep-rooted prejudices. They are a symptom of poor understanding of complex and sensitive issues,” said Imran, founding director of the Centre for Interreligious Understanding.
Imran said the negative reaction to “Salam Gembira” was mainly due to some online users interpreting the film’s content and intent as promoting an LGBTQ agenda, adding that the protagonist’s issues of cohabitation and premarital sex, which are sins in Islam, also received little attention.
While there will never be a common position on LGBTQ issues, Imran suggested more discussions be held to foster greater understanding and empathy among various stakeholders.
“This civic capacity building is where the Malay-Muslim community should be heading. It starts with dialogue. The film was meant to be a dialogue but unfortunately it has been grossly misinterpreted by some in the community,” Imran said.
In response to questions from This Week in Asia, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said it was not in a position to comment on the film’s classification or audience reaction.
The statement noted that LGBTQ issues are sensitive for many faith communities, saying, “While they are not often discussed publicly, when they do occur within Muslim communities they are done so sensitively and with consideration for diverse perspectives and sensitivities of individuals.”
The backlash caused by the film has once again highlighted the difficulty the entertainment industry faces in covering issues of homosexuality in Muslim societies, despite a growing acceptance of LGBTQ rights in the region in recent years.
Last month, Thailand passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to do so.
Imran said it can be difficult to discuss LGBTQ issues in conservative Malay-Muslim society, which has yet to develop the social framework and vocabulary to deal with the growing presence of the LGBTQ community.
“The rise of religious identity politics has made religious policing more commonplace, leading to a kind of ‘culture war’ between Muslims and non-Muslims.”
In Indonesia, lawmakers are considering amending broadcasting laws to ban LGBTQ content, even though the country previously allowed LGBTQ films. Thousands of anti-LGBTQ protesters march in Bogor, outside the capital Jakarta. Photo: AFP
NBC News reported in May that prominent Indonesian film director Joko Anwar called the proposal “dangerous” and “unworkable.”
“Banning this content not only stifles creativity in the creative industries and freedom of the press, it also undermines people’s ability to filter what they watch,” he said.
In Malaysia, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reiterated in March that films promoting the LGBTQ lifestyle would not be approved for screening in the country, where homosexuality remains illegal.
In 2022, Disney-distributed Thor: Love and Thunder and Pixar’s animated film Lightyear were banned from Malaysian theaters due to LGBTQ elements that the studios chose not to cut.
However, LGBTQ elements will be allowed in TV and film content as long as they are portrayed as cautionary tales.
Among the shows approved by Malaysian authorities is TV3’s 2022 drama “Suamiku Lelaki Pendosa,” which tells the story of a gay protagonist whose life is turned upside down when a video of him having sex with another man is leaked online. He loses his job, becomes estranged from everyone except his wife, and ends up getting serious with her and breaking up with his gay partner.
