Sharia law in Aceh; adulterers to be stoned to death, homosexuals punished

[aneeshm]

Link

Indonesia's province of Aceh has passed a new law making adultery punishable by stoning to death, a member of the province's parliament has said.

The law also imposes severe sentences for rape, homosexuality, alcohol consumption and gambling.

Opponents had tried to delay the law, saying more debate was needed because it imposes capital punishment.

Sharia law was partially introduced in Aceh in 2001, as part of a government offer to pacify separatist rebels.

A peace deal in 2005 ended the 30-year insurgency, and many of the former rebels have now entered Aceh's government, which enjoys a degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.

The legislation was passed unanimously by Aceh's regional legislature, said assembly member Bahrom Rasjid.

"This law will be effective in 30 days with or without the approval of Aceh's governor," he said.

The governor of Aceh, a former rebel with the Free Aceh Movement, is opposed to strict Sharia law. He had urged more debate over the bill.

'Moral degradation'

Married people convicted of adultery can be sentenced to death by stoning. Unmarried people can be sentenced to 100 lashes with a cane.

Previously, Aceh's partially-adopted Sharia law enforced Muslim dress codes and mandatory prayers.

"This law is a preventive measure for Acehnese people so that they will avoid moral degradation," said Moharriyadia, a spokesman for the Prosperous Justice Party.

A new parliament will be sworn in next month, after local polls saw the moderate Aceh Party win the most seats in the provincial assembly.

The Aceh Party has said it will review the law once the new parliament is sitting.

"It needs more public consultation. We need to involve the ulemas - the Islamic clerics - in drafting the law," said Adnan Beuransah, a spokesperson for the Aceh Party.

About 90% of Indonesia's 235 million people are Muslim, practising a moderate form of the religion.

Oddly enough, it appears that this is the will of the people. It is difficult to continue an insurgency for thirty years without local sympathy.

Even more odd is the fact that the moderates have not spoken out against the law. If the Aceh Party is moderate, shouldn't it have rejected this rather distasteful law outright, instead of saying that the clerics need to be involved? And how could the people have elected people like this?

If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that the people actually want this law to come into force. But it's probably that the most vocal and radical minority of Muslim extremists come out to vote in the largest numbers, so the large majority of moderates have less of a voice than they should.

 

[RedRalph]

Got no problem with severe sentences for rape; rest is deranged.

 

[Truronian]

But it's probably that the most vocal and radical minority of Muslim extremists come out to vote in the largest numbers, so the large majority of moderates have less of a voice than they should.

Probably. At any rate, this ain't great news.

 

[aelf]

If they want it, they can have it. Those who don't like just don't have to be there.

That's democracy for you. If you don't like it, then you can giiit out

 

[J-man]

But it's probably that the most vocal and radical minority of Muslim extremists come out to vote in the largest numbers, so the large majority of moderates have less of a voice than they should.

Perhaps the law IS supported by the majority. The level of corruption in the Indonesian government is very high. Perhaps the people are sick and tired of this and are turning to radical Islam. Just a theory but it has happened in other places on the world.

 

[Winner]

Get ready, this is coming to Britain...

 

[ParadigmShifter]

That's funny, I thought the EU forbids the death penalty.

 

[Phlegmak]

If the people want it, then they'll get it, and they deserve it.

 

[Sharwood]

Perhaps the law IS supported by the majority. The level of corruption in the Indonesian government is very high. Perhaps the people are sick and tired of this and are turning to radical Islam. Just a theory but it has happened in other places on the world.

This is likely correct. Masada would probably know better than I would, but many Indonesians are turning towards radical Islam both out of disgust with the government, and simply due to a backlash from decades of suppression under Soeharto. Muslims weren't permitted to practice their religion anywhere near as freely then, and certainly not as publicly, and they're lashing out. Aceh was oppressed more than most, due to the insurgency and its resulting crackdown.

It's actually surprising this hasn't happened there sooner, since similar laws have been passed in other parts of Indonesia. Perhaps it's to do with the fact that Aceh is relatively homogeneous. Most of the places passing Sharia law are actually heterogeneous communities ith Muslim majorities, who pass such laws as ways of discriminating against non-Muslim minorities. Hindu and Buddhist women out after dark are routinely arrested in these communities, charged with prostitution, indecency, and other ridiculous offences, even if they aren't actually breaking even the strict Sharia laws.

I can guarantee that this is against the Indonesian constitution. Unfortunately, the Indonesian government is lacking in the power to do anything about such violations. The military is divided and often disobeys the government on such matters, and Indonesia's long history of authoritarianism means that any government which attempts a crackdown, especially one that could be interpreted as an attack on the freedom of local communities to rule themselves as they wish, will be denounced as authoritarian. Indonesians, even educated ones, really do have a habit of naively believing everything the media tells them, regardless of how stupid what they're being told actually is. Any government accused of authoritarianism would lose power quickly, and none of them are willing to risk that. So, such repressive and unconstitutional laws continue to be promulgated.

Get ready, this is coming to Britain...

No. No it isn't.

 

[kulade]

Get ready, this is coming to Britain...

Hopefully it'll go to Eastern Europe too.

 

[J-man]

Get ready, this is coming to Britain...

No it isn't.

 

[aelf]

This is likely correct. Masada would probably know better than I would, but many Indonesians are turning towards radical Islam both out of disgust with the government, and simply due to a backlash from decades of suppression under Soeharto. Muslims weren't permitted to practice their religion anywhere near as freely then, and certainly not as publicly, and they're lashing out. Aceh was oppressed more than most, due to the insurgency and its resulting crackdown.

Aceh has always been very staunchly Muslim and more radical than most of the country. And my impression is that there's not much religious persecution against Muslims in Indonesia, even during the Suharto years. Unless by that you mean not being allowed to practice Shariah law.

 

[Sharwood]

Aceh has always been very staunchly Muslim and more radical than most of the country. And my impression is that there's not much religious persecution against Muslims in Indonesia, even during the Suharto years. Unless by that you mean not being allowed to practice Shariah law.

More simply repression in general, and the effect this had on religion, than religious persecution. If you're forced to live a certain way, you tend to start thinking about how much better it would be to live another way. When you get the chance to live that way, you take it, even if it's actually a much worse way to live. As this is.

 

[aelf]

More simply repression in general, and the effect this had on religion, than religious persecution. If you're forced to live a certain way, you tend to start thinking about how much better it would be to live another way. When you get the chance to live that way, you take it, even if it's actually a much worse way to live. As this is.

Huh, what do you mean?

My understanding is that the issue in Aceh is about economic and political repression. Aceh has oil, but the Acehnese felt that the national government was reaping the benefits without giving them a fair share. As a result, many were in support of some sort of a political break with the national government, which triggered harsh response from the military and caused the conflict with the GAM.

The fact that they are trying to institute Shariah law seems to be more of a product of their tradition of staunch Islamism and the desire to assert greater political freedom.

 

[Sharwood]

Huh, what do you mean?

My understanding is that the issue in Aceh is about economic and political repression. Aceh has oil, but the Acehnese felt that the national government was reaping the benefits without giving them a fair share. As a result, many were in support of some sort of a political break with the national government, which triggered harsh response from the military and caused the conflict with the GAM.

The fact that they are trying to institute Shariah law seems to be more of a product of their tradition of staunch Islamism and the desire to assert greater political freedom.

Yeah, didn't express that well. It's 3 AM here. All I mean is that the Soeharto regime was oppressive. This oppression, as you said, was politico-economic, but the lack of such freedoms often leads to idea that "if this were done my way things would be better." Thus, when the repression ends, the result is often people going overboard. In many countries, that leads to a new kind of dictatorship, economic dislocation, or other alternatives. In Indonesia, it seems to be the retreat back into more public religion.

Bear in mind, I'm speaking less about Aceh than about the other Indonesian communities I mentioned. Aceh is a special case, and I don't deny that. But the fact that this is happening in many different Indonesian communities seems to indicate that there's more going on than just Islamic tradition. The proliferation of Sharia law is clearly in reaction to something, and that something can only be one of several things, since it's occuring nation-wide. There are a few possibilities, but the one that immediately comes to mind, especially as I've had Indonesian friends discuss this with me, are the Soeharto years.

My own thinking would have simply been that after 60 years of secular government, the current instability was leading to a resurgence in religious influence in the public sphere, but this is what I was told when this happened in other parts of the country in 2006-07. I tend to trust my Indonesian buddies on Indonesian issues, since I suspect they know more about day-to-day life there than I do.

 

[aelf]

Yeah, didn't express that well. It's 3 AM here. All I mean is that the Soeharto regime was oppressive. This oppression, as you said, was politico-economic, but the lack of such freedoms often leads to idea that "if this were done my way things would be better." Thus, when the repression ends, the result is often people going overboard. In many countries, that leads to a new kind of dictatorship, economic dislocation, or other alternatives. In Indonesia, it seems to be the retreat back into more public religion.

Bear in mind, I'm speaking less about Aceh than about the other Indonesian communities I mentioned. Aceh is a special case, and I don't deny that. But the fact that this is happening in many different Indonesian communities seems to indicate that there's more going on than just Islamic tradition. The proliferation of Sharia law is clearly in reaction to something, and that something can only be one of several things, since it's occuring nation-wide. There are a few possibilities, but the one that immediately comes to mind, especially as I've had Indonesian friends discuss this with me, are the Soeharto years.

My own thinking would have simply been that after 60 years of secular government, the current instability was leading to a resurgence in religious influence in the public sphere, but this is what I was told when this happened in other parts of the country in 2006-07. I tend to trust my Indonesian buddies on Indonesian issues, since I suspect they know more about day-to-day life there than I do.

Yeah, you're right on the fact that repression leads to extremism.

I do hope, though, that the fledgling democratic system that has finally begun to show results post-Suharto era will eventually lead the majority away from extremism, Aceh excluded. Aceh seems to have too much historical baggage (dating back since contact with Arab traders who brought Islam to Aceh relatively early, hence the tradition of devotion). Well, I hope moving to other provinces isn't difficult for those who don't like it (not sure, it seems either easy or quite difficult depending on which provinces are involved).

 

[Winner]

Hopefully it'll go to Eastern Europe too.

Hopefully the cautionary tale which is unfolding in Western Europe will help us Central Europeans avoid the same mistakes and force our governments to look for immigrants in more civilized places.

No it isn't.

You're right, it's already there. Now, give it time to develop. If the current trend in Britain is maintained, public executions of adulterers won't be an uncommon occurrence in the UK in few decades

 

[JollyRoger]

Winner apparently hasn't heard of alternative dispute resolution and contractual choice of law clauses yet.

 

[kulade]

Hopefully the cautionary tale which is unfolding in Western Europe will help us Central Europeans avoid the same mistakes and force our governments to look for immigrants in more civilized places.

You won't have to fret about it, the Russians and Gypsies will soon overrun all of Europe anyway and Muslims will be the least of your worries. (I don't think many Muslims immigrate to Eastern Europe anyway)

 

[Berzerker]

If they want it, they can have it. Those who don't like just don't have to be there.

That's democracy for you. If you don't like it, then you can giiit out

shall we take that as an endorsement of Jim Crow?