Idols. They’re everywhere, but can you imagine being jailed for hugging one? Well, that’s what almost happened recently to four very lucky and unlucky girls in Malaysia.

A Korean boy band known as B1A4 held a fan meeting in Malaysia on Jan. 10. They called four girls up on stage and reenacted scenes from Korean T.V. shows. The scenes involved physical intimacy, such as holding hands, hugging, and even a forehead kiss. To the girls, this was the time of their lives, but to the Malaysian government, it was an offensive act.

To understand why physical contact between the idols and the fans was an issue, we have to know a bit about the country. Malaysia is a country in southeast Asia and over 60% of the people are associated with the Islamic religion. It goes against Islamic teachings to have physical contact with the opposite gender before marriage. The fans who were called onstage during the concert did indeed have some physical contact.

The Malaysian government soon became involved in this situation. The Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI) and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) declared that the girls would receive a sentence of six months in prison for breaking Islamic laws, that is, if they turned themselves in within a week. They failed to turn themselves in, so no punishment was ultimately issued. There is another law in Malaysia that says if the accused persons do not turn themselves in, after a week the government cannot do anything about it.

Anna Do, a Lincoln sophomore, let Lion Tales know her opinion on the subject. She said, “B1A4 was just doing fan service, like any other groups would.” She did not believe the group members were to be blamed. “Besides, they did ask permission before hugging the girls.”

Many opinions on this matter were posted on websites like this one, where the public is allowed to comment. Many of the commentators believed the punishment was too much for the four teenage girls, while others thought they deserved the punishment for “offending the Islamic religion.” Commentators also looked for someone to blame. They blamed either the staff organizers, the member of B1A4, or the four girls.

Lion Tales readers, what is your opinion? Is six months in prison too much of a punishment for hugging an idol?