BANNING smoking with a fatwa, or religious ruling, is as difficult as eradicating corruption through sermons. Perhaps one or two people will be deterred, but there will be no meaningful change. A year ago, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) banned smoking by pregnant women and children and in public places. But we still see people smoking in malls and cafes, on buses and even in some places inside hospitals.

The people who drew up the fatwa kno