Death by stoning in Indonesia
Analysis: Forget what you've heard about "creeping fundamentalism." It's not true.
There is a sense, in fact, among some Acehnese analysts, that the passing of the law was not meant to enforce Islamic morals at all, but instead was meant as a political move to destabilize the incoming parliament.
“There is a sense that the outgoing parliament deliberately left a 'time-bomb' for their successors,” Jones said. “The next parliament will be open to criticism either way, damned for being insufficiently supportive of Sharia if they try and roll it back, damned for intolerance and cowardliness if they let it go ahead, even in a modified form.”
If the new parliament doesn’t rescind the law, however, Jakarta will. Andi Mallarangeng, an adviser to the president, said the central government would likely review the law’s legality. Such an action could have interesting repercussions for the country as a whole.
Numerous Sharia-based regulations have been passed by local governments throughout Indonesia and so far, the Home Affairs ministry has not acted, even though the regulations are in clear violation of Indonesian law, which forbids local governments from enacting religious-based legislation.
“In the case of Aceh, the Ministry will almost certainly act — which may bring some of the other regulations around the country into question,” Jones said.
Aceh’s new law isn’t the first time Sharia-based regulations have been passed there. Laws have existed for years requiring women to wear headscarves in public, for instance, and there was a time when women were occasionally, sometimes brutally, punished. But when you walk the streets of its capital these days, numerous women forgo the headscarf, openly flouting the law with little to no consequence. Such religious-based laws have always been followed by a public backlash — both domestically and internationally. It appears this most recent law will befall the same fate. Already national women’s groups have rallied to demand the retraction of the legislation.
The Acehnese themselves are also bewildered.
“Among so many aspects of Sharia Law, I don’t understand why the Aceh parliament prioritized the stoning law, while corruption and social welfare are so much more critical,” said, Jalil, 36, a male consultant working in Banda Aceh.
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 :
Special Report
Thomas Mucha - Commerce - January 28, 2010 17:24 ET
20 correspondents, 20 countries and a world of pain. Meet the ground truth of the global economic crisis.
Indonesia: What do they think of the "Menteng Kid" now?
Peter Gelling - Indonesia - January 19, 2010 19:56 ET
Like other places around the world, Obama is having trouble in his old backyard.
Economic worries in Indonesia? Blame the Chinese.
Peter Gelling - Indonesia - January 10, 2010 07:56 ET
A new regional trade deal raises tensions between two rising economic powers.
Tsunami anniversary marks fragile peace in Aceh
Peter Gelling - Indonesia - December 26, 2009 14:33 ET
Reconstruction efforts have been impressive, but concerns remain over peace agreement with Jakarta.
Climate change: Better REDD than dead?
Peter Gelling - Global Green - December 9, 2009 06:31 ET
Indonesia is taking a bigger role in its CO2 responsibilities.
Why Indonesian kids are crazy for punk
Maria Bakkalapulo & Ayumi Nakanishi - Indonesia - December 1, 2009 13:43 ET
Indonesia: Raise a flag, go to prison
Peter Gelling - Indonesia - December 1, 2009 10:55 ET
Happy independence day in West Papua?
Why white skin is all the rage in Asia
Phillip Martin - China and its neighbors - November 26, 2009 12:03 ET
From pills to lasers to cream, what's fueling the boom in skin-whitening procedures across the continent?
Special report: Silicon Sweatshops
Jonathan Adams and Kathleen E. McLaughlin - China and its neighbors - November 23, 2009 10:51 ET
Despite strict "codes of conduct," labor rights violations are the norm at factories making the world's favorite high-tech gadgets.
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.
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.
Indonesia: The home of "Green Islam"
Peter Gelling - Indonesia - November 16, 2009 06:25 ET
Can Quranic teaching save the planet? Many in the world's most-populous Muslim nation think so.
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.
Watch GlobalPost videos:
Reporter's Notebook
Hopes of finding survivors trapped beneath hundreds of collapsed buildings here began to fade Saturday, three days after a large earthquake struck...Read more >
Indonesians fled Jakarta office towers, shopping centers and apartment buildings in a panic Wednesday afternoon after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake...Read more >
Election day here is a holiday and as such the streets of Jakarta, normally chaotic, were shockingly quiet Wednesday as millions of Indonesians...Read more >
Featured: Special Projects
Oceans:
Assessing their health
After the Fall:
20 years since the Berlin Wall came down
Life, Death and the Taliban:
Videos and stories
Study Abroad:
Students report from the road
Living in the Shadows:
An intimate look at China's migrant workers
A World of Trouble:
The global economy in 20 hotspots
Comments:
1 Comments.
Login or Register to post comments