Indonesia’s Sound Horeg Economy: Freedom of Expression Versus Public Health and Order

Indonesia’s Sound Horeg Economy: Freedom of Expression Versus Public Health and Order

An Indonesian cultural practice of stacking loudspeakers to produce extremely loud music, locally known as sound horeg (a Javanese expression for “vibrate”), has stirred controversy in East Java province. The practice began in the 1970s, but a recent major blow came from the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI)’s East Java provincial chapter on 12 July 2025. In an edict, the MUI chapter declared the practice as “haram” (forbidden) for Muslims, with…