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When US President Barack Obama decided to once again postpone his visit to Indonesia, where he spent several years as a child, I initially thought the move would hurt his image in the eyes of Indonesians. But in retrospect, I have two possible theories about why the cancellation might have actually done him a favor.

Let’s start with the more serious one. Had Obama decided to come on the originally scheduled date, sometime in the middle of this month, it is likely that his arrival would have been welcomed with hostility in relation to his commitment to the Islamic world.

I’m referring to the Israel’s botched and deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in a humanitarian flotilla that was attempting to deliver aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Of the 12 Indonesians who were on the ship, two were shot, one of whom, Surya Fahrizal, is still in critical condition. The fact that there were Indonesians on board was enough to ignite fury in the country.

Here’s the thing. Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, has always been on the side of Palestinians. Palestine is the country we have a formal diplomatic relationship with, not Israel. On the other hand, the United States is Israel’s best buddy — politically, economically and militarily.

One of Obama’s earliest foreign policy goals was to build stronger ties with the Islamic world. When the raid occurred, it became inevitable that Indonesians would expect Washington to take a firm stance against Israel for its aggression. Its failure to do so has jeopardized Obama’s reputation in Indonesia.

Had Obama stuck with the scheduled date for his visit, the US president would probably not have had a chance to visit his old elementary school in Menteng, eat nasi goreng or go to Borobudur Temple. I can imagine that Islamic groups would have thronged the streets staging demonstrations, carrying banners saying things like “Ear-twist your Israeli brother!” or “I thought you said you wanted to be a better friend to us!” wherever he ventured.

So the postponement came at the right moment, because Indonesia’s sentiment toward Obama, as the president of the country that is Israel’s greatest ally, may not have been at its friendliest.

On a much less serious note, if Obama had come according to plan, there would have been a great possibility that his return to his childhood country would have received zero attention from Indonesians.

I’ll tell you why. All eyes and minds in Indonesia are currently on a man who in many ways may surpass the popularity and the prowess of the American president.

His name is Nazril Irham, better known as Ariel, the lead vocalist of the band Peterpan.

Yes, he’s the rock star who was suddenly thrust into the public spotlight not because of a new smash song, but because of steamy sex tapes allegedly involving him and actresses and presenters Luna Maya and Cut Tari.

We can’t deny it. Entire swaths of Indonesian society — ranging from janitors to housewives to college students — have been tirelessly viewing and discussing the controversial videos.

Whether it’s at the mall, on a futsal field or even at a graduation ceremony, the amateur sex tapes have been the bread and butter of every conversation.

Even such high-ranking government officials as Vice President Boediono and Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring have publicly expressed their concerns over the scandal. The National Police too are on the case.

The controversy has also swept up the digital world. Highlighting the magnitude of the scandal, “Ariel Peterporn” has become one of Twitter’s hottest topics.

Ironically, at one point Ariel was a more popular topic than “oil spill,” referring to the unprecedented environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico caused by BP, the reason Obama canceled his trip to Indonesia and Australia in the first place.

The spread of the sex tapes has become a sort of national crisis that has united Indonesia.

With this news being at the country’s center of attention, my fear is that if Obama did visit now, many Indonesians would not even notice.


Armando Siahaan is a reporter with the Jakarta Globe and writes a weekly column about current events. Find Jakarta Journo on Facebook at http://bit.ly/apxo4g, or e-mail him at armando.siahaan@thejakartaglobe.com.