Smoking should be declared haram (unlawful in Islam) to protect children from its harmful effects, the National Commission for Child Protection has told the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

"Changing the old paradigm, which regards smoking as a normal thing, must be supported by all elements of society, including the faith community," commission chairman Seto Mulyadi said on the sidelines of a meeting with MUI leaders Tuesday.

"Look at how we can still see many parents smoking freely right next to their babies. This has to change," he said.

Seto said by declaring smoking as haram, the MUI would help the emergence of a new paradigm and attitude that smoking is bad for people's health.

"We agree that smoking by children should be prohibited because it is damaging their future," said Amidhan, an MUI leaders present at the Tuesday meeting.

"Parents, families, teachers and all adults around children, including the tobacco industry, must be aware of this prohibition. Advertisements targeting children as their customers should be limited," said Amidhan.

"However, to turn that stance into a fatwa (decree) we need to bring the discussion in the Ijtima' Ulama assembly, which will be held at the end of this year in West Sumatra," Amidhan said.

The Ijtima' Ulama assembly is a gathering of MUI's fatwa commissions nationwide, which discuss and decide on new fatwa.

According to Amidhan, since June, regional MUI leaders in Sumatra had taken the stance that smoking was haram.

"Five years ago, MUI declared smoking as makhruh (improper but not forbidden)," Amidhan said.

MUI chairman Cholil Ridwan said smoking had been declared as absolutely haram in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s.

Cholil acknowledged there were still difference positions toward smoking among the MUI clerics.

"Although some Muslim clerics here have individually banned smoking in their pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), like in Gontor, many others still allow smoking too."

Under the 2002 Child Protection Law, those less than 18 years old are considered children.

The National Economy Survey in 2004 showed 26.8 percent of teenagers between 13 and 15 years of age smoked. The survey also found that children were taking up smoking earlier, between the ages of five and nine.

A 2007 study by the school of health sciences at the Hamka Muhammadiyah University shows 99.7 percent of teenagers in Jakarta see cigarette advertisements on TV, 86.7 percent see cigarette ads in public spaces and 81 percent attend activities sponsored by the tobacco industry.

The research also found cigarette advertising, sponsorships and promotions portraying smoking as cool motivate the young to start smoking, to keep smoking and to return to smoking after quitting.