Pornography, hentai, and anything in between is what you’d call HARAM in Muslim culture.
I don’t think this rule is an exception, no matter how different the country is in terms of rules, culture, regulations, or their version of Islam (how they choose to follow it, etc).
That being said, here are a few patterns I have noticed among the most STRICT countries.
Also, patterns I’ve noticed in general, regardless of how taboo topics like “porn” may be.
1. Strict parents create sneaky children
You might have heard this saying; you may not have. But the principle is the same.
When a kid has strict parents who force them to:
- Avoid certain things,
- Not to watch certain things.
- Stay away from certain things.
- And to ONLY behave in a certain way…
Depending on how those rules are enforced, it can create sneaky children who grow into adults, who go on to do the complete opposite of what they were “pressured” into doing.
The same thing happens with hentai.
For example, countries like Saudi Arabia regularly appear in analytics when it comes to hentai sites. The same is true even for this site, despite it not being a full-blown porn site.
Why? Well, Saudi Arabia is among the strictest countries in the Muslim world (on the surface at least). Following this logic, is it really surprising that people desire to engage in “taboos” they’re discouraged or bullied into avoiding?
The internet allows people to get around these social rules by exploring the very thing they’ve been told not to for so long.
It’s human nature to do things you know you shouldn’t do, or that you were told you’re not allowed to do.
2. Discipline without handcuffs
Continuing from the first point, when a person has been forced or pressured into living a disciplined life but isn’t told why they should, that can create “problems” down the road.
One of those problems is clear.
For example, the moment a person like this experiences any level of freedom without repercussions (the handcuffs come off), they run wild, so to speak.
Again, the internet by itself allows anyone to do this regardless of religion, but this is especially the case within Muslim countries because it behaves like an “escape” from the social rules that are expected to be followed.
VPN only help this goal become reality much easier. As well as all of the other tricks used to “mask” what you’re doing online to avoid shame or whatever else.
3. Curiosity gone wild
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This piggybacks on the 2nd point of this post.
If your country of origin makes it very hard for you to do something, that only makes you even more curious. And that curiosity, if not tamed, leads to all sorts of discoveries.
Some good, some bad, others neutral.
In this case, that is hentai.
Is it surprising that Malaysia is one of the top 10 countries in the world that seeks out hentai the most?
Is it surprising that countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Turkey, Azerbaijan, etc, are also seeking out hentai to a relatively large degree?
Is it shocking that Indonesia is also one of the top 25 countries seeking out hentai the most?
This isn’t Muslin specific, but it still applies. Curiosity always kills the cat.
It can’t be helped when and if your culture denies you the opportunity to either explore (depending on what it is) or even “see” the thing so you can either find out it’s “bad” or decide for yourself.
4. If it’s banned or illegal, demand rises
It’s obvious what the stance is in general when it comes to porn, hentai, or anything of the sort in Muslim countries.
There’s a reason countries like Malaysia and others have historically banned or censored certain anime (never mind hentai) for showing even a little bit of skin, despite it being in context.
The issue is that when you BAN something or make it illegal, for some strange reason, it pushes people to demand that thing even more.
Piracy works the same way, and you better believe it works the same for more risque, lewd, and pornographic content. Especially the hentai kind that lets the imagination run wild like an open zoo.
It doesn’t mean everyone is gonna demand this content or that the majority of citizens will want that thing, but it does mean that a sizeable amount of those citizens will demand it to such a degree it will be noticeable.
And this is very noticeable year by year with trending data online when it comes to hentai in particular.
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5. A natural extension of anime curiosity
The thing is, anime is popular in many Muslim countries, especially Malaysia, which is number 1. When you’re interested in one thing, naturally, you become curious about similar things.
That similar thing in the anime context is hentai, despite the big jump (the content is fundamentally different after all).
I can’t say what it is that causes people to make the jump, I just know that it happens and is an obvious gateway into the world of Hentai for many in the Muslim world.
Even if they’re undercover, and even if it’s not as “punished” as it is in other Muslim countries by comparison.
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In the end:
- The reasons are diverse.
- Not everyone is gonna follow the rules.
- Rebelliousness is expected in strict environments, even if it’s relatively small.
And more importantly, religion alone isn’t the strongest factor.
But it still is an element, just more of a curious one rather than critical or crucial.
