A group of female activists gather outside local parliament to demand the parliament reject the controversial new sharia law "qanun jinayat" in Banda Aceh, Sept. 14, 2009. Under the new law, Muslims who commit adultery in Indonesia's northern Aceh province may be stoned to death. (Tarmizy Harva/Reuters)

Death by stoning in Indonesia

Analysis: Forget what you've heard about "creeping fundamentalism." It's not true.

By Peter Gelling - GlobalPost
Published: September 28, 2009 05:27 ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Aceh, Indonesia’s northernmost province, has this month been compared to Somalia, Nigeria and even Iraq. So it goes when lawmakers decide that death by stoning is an appropriate punishment for adultery.

The fact is the law goes much further than that even. It also outlaws homosexuality and refuses to consider marital rape a crime. But despite this, Aceh’s controversial new law is not an example of “creeping fundamentalism” as the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets have suggested.

One must only walk through the streets of Aceh’s capital city, Banda Aceh, to find out. These days women walk freely without their headscarves, girls and boys mingle at coffee shops and the so-called “Sharia Police” make up only a tiny fraction of the city’s police force — and even then they are reluctant to enforce the province’s smattering of religious-based by-laws.

“I don’t think there is any chance of this law being enforced anytime soon,” said Sidney Jones, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group in Jakarta.

Aceh is the country’s most devout region, the site where an Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 130,000 people in 2004 and where, in 2005, a 30-year old civil war came to a peaceful, though tenuous, conclusion. As part of the European-brokered peace deal, Aceh was given a degree of autonomy from Jakarta. That autonomy was on display spectacularly earlier this month when outgoing provincial lawmakers passed the so-called “stoning law,” requiring harsh penalties for what they called “ethical crimes.” This would include caning for premarital sex and homosexuality.

Residents of Banda Aceh cringed.

“This stoning bill only promotes violence in Islam, which is not what Islam is teaching us,” said Fitri, a 25-year old university student in Banda Aceh who also said she didn’t expect the law to be enforced, or even remain on the books much longer. “Sharia law is implemented in Arab countries, but in Indonesia we have different situations and cultures.”

The lawmakers who passed the law, in fact, were largely voted out during local parliamentary elections last April. The new parliament, populated mostly by ex-freedom fighters who analysts say tend to be more concerned with the region’s economic prosperity and independence from Jakarta than Islamic teachings, is almost certain to repeal the law. Aceh’s acting governor, Mohammad Nazar, even denounced the bill as un-Islamic.

Comments:

1 Comments.

Login or Register to post comments

Posted by Euro22 on September 29, 2009 06:01 ET

Forget what you've heard about "creeping fundamentalism." It's not true.

What is creeping fundamentalism in your opinion?

When the introduction of stoning laws doesn't count as 'creeping fundamentalism' ~

    Is it an effort to protect Islam at all cost - that you must never offend - even though what they are doing in some cases is offensive. Or is this a religious thing - where you read a holy book and was so moved - you feel the need to share or something.

Indonesia had already introduced caning - and Shari'a laws in about half the provinces.

Back in 2003 - the don't-panic sign also went up - when Aceh introduced Shari'a law - questions were raised over - whether they intended to move toward stoning and other more draconian types of Islamic penalties.

Back then - we got the same assurances ~ it is not going to go any further - this is it! Back then the Shari'a laws were to be applied to Muslims only - but today despite the educated assurances - the law will now be applied to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

One can bury their head in the sand - but there is a clear pattern here. In the Maldives for example they have just introduced caning, and no non-Muslim can hold citizenship there. But if the writer doesn't consider the introduction of a stoning law - creeping fundamentalism - then he would no doubt put forward some other rational explanation for what is going on in the Maldives - where for example - to call someone a Christian is considered the highest insult. And they closed the children's library to purge it of UNESCO books [donated] that may have featured other religions - books like the Little Jewish Princess - or all un-Islamic books which were deemed offensive to Islam.

What we are looking at is the reality of Islamization - and some very educated Muslims feel that this is good for the West. Better to argue about Indonesia, Southern Thailand and far flung places like the Maldives - than to live this creeping reality - such as they contend with in Pakistan.

Recent on Indonesia :

Silicon Sweatshops: A promising model

Jonathan Adams and Kathleen E. McLaughlin - China and its neighbors - November 18, 2009 06:54 ET

There's no easy way to police supply chains in Asia. But one US high-tech firm and its Taiwan supplier are taking a creative approach that might just work.

Special report: Silicon Sweatshops

Jonathan Adams and Kathleen E. McLaughlin - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 15:05 ET

Despite strict "codes of conduct," labor rights violations are the norm at factories making the world's favorite high-tech gadgets.

Silicon Sweatshops: Shattered dreams

Jonathan Adams - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 07:24 ET

Migrant workers making gadgets at Taiwan's high-tech parks sign deals that make them modern-day indentured servants.

Silicon Sweatshops: The China connection

Kathleen E. McLaughlin and Jonathan Adams - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 07:22 ET

For migrant workers, an electronics factory job can be a ticket into China's booming middle class. But for many, it turns into a nightmare of poor working conditions and indifferent bosses.

Silicon Sweatshops: Disposable workforce

Jonathan Adams - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 07:22 ET

Laid-off Taiwanese workers accuse their firm of violating industry codes even when times were good.

Asia's pushback to big tobacco

Patrick Winn - Thailand - November 15, 2009 12:30 ET

The cigarette industry wants a bigger slice of Asia. Activists want them to butt out.

Can Indonesia's "Hamburger King" topple McDonald's?

Sara Schonhardt - Indonesia - November 11, 2009 06:55 ET

So far, the signs are not good.

Indonesia: Corruption junction

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - November 6, 2009 14:02 ET

A corruption scandal hits — you guessed it — the country's anti-corruption commission.

Indonesia: You call this reform?

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - October 22, 2009 05:45 ET

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's new cabinet has caused some head-scratching.

On Location video: Java, Indonesia

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - October 18, 2009 10:04 ET

Terrorist mastermind Noordin Top is dead. But in the tiny villages of Central Java, his ideas live on.

Indonesia earthquake: One week later

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - October 16, 2009 15:07 ET

Hope is abandoned, as rescue workers officially end the search for survivors.

A World of Trouble: Is the nightmare over?

Thomas Mucha - Commerce - October 14, 2009 13:35 ET

With signs of economic recovery finally emerging, here's where things stand in 20 countries around the world.

Indonesia's latest earthquake disaster

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - October 1, 2009 13:35 ET

Our correspondent on the ground in Sumatra weighs in on fear, folklore and desperate rescue efforts.

Why Indonesian kids are crazy for punk

Maria Bakkalapulo & Ayumi Nakanishi - Indonesia - September 29, 2009 15:43 ET

Death by stoning in Indonesia

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - September 28, 2009 05:27 ET

Analysis: Forget what you've heard about "creeping fundamentalism." It's not true.

Indonesian commandos kill terrorist leader

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - September 17, 2009 16:23 ET

Noordin Top, a master bomber, headed Southeast Asia's version of Al Qaeda.

Violence plagues Indonesia's restive province

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - September 9, 2009 10:29 ET

In West Papua, US company Freeport-McMoran is in the cross-hairs.

Flying the unfriendly skies

Peter Gelling - Indonesia - September 8, 2009 08:36 ET

Indonesia's airlines are the scourge of the world. Or are they? Europe partially lifts an embarrassing ban.

Meet the economic gangsters

Mark Scheffler - Commerce - August 12, 2009 09:03 ET

Economic gangsters come in all shapes and sizes — they're Asian dictators and Somali pirates.