Plans to launch an Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine have set off a debate in the world's largest Muslim nation, prompting the local publisher to say the edition would be toned down and not contain nudity.
His assurances are unlikely to satisfy religious conservatives, however, who range from members of big, mainstream Muslim organizations to supporters of radical groups with a history of violent actions against targets they deem immoral.
In the years since the downfall of the Suharto regime in 1998, Indonesians have had significantly more access to titillating material, whether in the form of widely available "lifestyle" magazines aimed at men -- including local editions of such titles as FHM -- late-night adult television programs, illicit pornographic movies or the Internet.
But the planned appearance of Playboy in the Indonesian language and featuring Indonesian models has struck a raw nerve in the predominantly Islamic country.
Apart from the U.S. edition, Playboy has 20 local editions, although none in the Muslim world. All are based in Europe except for two in South America, one in Mexico and one in Japan.
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