The Aceh provincial government says it will not sign the controversial Shariah (Islamic) bylaw (qanun) allowing adulterers to be stoned to death and homosexuals whipped, the Jakarta Post reported.
The report last Friday quoted Hamid Zein, the head of the legal bureau of the Aceh governor's office, as saying on Thursday that the administration has firmly rejected the bylaw passed by the legislative council on Sep 14.
"As long as the executive and legislative bodies do not settle differences in the application of [capital punishment by] stoning, the Aceh government will not sign the bylaw," Hamid said.
Aceh, an autonomous province and the country’s only province with special provisions allowing it to have Islamic Sharia-based laws.
Signaling the first time the central government had intervened in the issuance of rules and legislation by the Aceh administration and council, Indonesia’s Home Minister Mardiyanto said the government would file a review to the Supreme Court, and the laws are "detrimental" to the Acehnese and would "frighten" visitors and investors, as well as possibly not respecting the [national] constitution.
Under the controversial regulation, men and women found guilty of adultery could be stoned to death publicly, while individuals engaging in premarital sex or homosexual sex may get 100 lashes, fined or jailed. The bylaw, which is applicable to Muslims and non-Muslims, will also provide for penalties for all parties proved to have "facilitated" such acts including hotels and entertainment venues.
Aceh's Sharia laws already prohibit the sale or consumption of alcohol, gambling or meeting a person of the opposite sex - who is not a spouse or family member - in a private place.
According to media reports, the local law (qanun) will punish homosexuality and lesbianism with 100 lashes of the whip, 1 kilogram of gold, or 100 months in prison.
When asked, Toni Almuna, an activist working with civil society groups in Aceh told Fridae: "The type of punishment (lashes, fine or imprisonment) is to be decided by the judge, so for example if someone is proven to commit adultery, the judge will decide which punishment he/she deserves. If he/she is sentenced to pay fine (gold) it will be paid to the government."
The bylaw is being seen as a last-ditch move by conservative Islamic lawmakers to push through the new laws before a new council takes over in early October. The new council is said to be dominated by supporters of the current government under Irwandy Yusuf, the Aceh Party, mostly comprising former members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), whose leadership is renowned for not supporting Sharia law in Aceh.
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Reader's Comments
barbaric and cruel behaviour in the first place.
How twisted is a logic that condones violence as
a way of advancing the social good?
It's a great relief though that this recent bylaw has been
unsuccessful - and that many Acehnese may sleep a
little more soundly tonight -
knowing that a son or daughter, other loved one,
or themselves -
will not be stoned to death, or whipped in public
for simply expressing "love" and attraction
for another person.
using a religion to back up human greed n arrogance is pathetic.
u know what,they should have those laws,
then the locals would start moving out of that province, no one would wanna visit that area becoz of fear..bye bye to business ventures..nothing productive would come their way n slowly..they start killing each other becoz the laws thats surpressing their mentality would explode...
everything would collapse.
done.
Why doesn't his Singaporean counterpart think likewise that keeping a law that requires imprisonment of those who have gay sex for up to 2 years would, too, ""frighten" visitors and investors, as well as possibly not respecting the [national] constitution."
Strange.
Let's see how the investors and visitors, especially those from the North America., Europe, and Australasia would perceive this country. NONE of USA, Canada, Mexico, Australian, New Zealand and ALL the member-nations of the European Union has an equivalent law, despite the fact that many of them are significantly more religious than secular Singapore, and the fact that the majority of their people are, of course, straight. In fact, almost all among these countries have a higher birth rate than Singapore.
Hence, legalizing homosexuality has never been proven to convert these nations into some "gay nations" with 'an entire generation of homosexuals' or to affect their birth rates. In fact, it's Singapore which proclaims to be formed mainly of a so-called 'conservative majority', and which still criminalises gay sex, that has a much lower birth rate.
Obviously, if the Singapore government thinks that this (having 377a) is a positive attribute, it would be more than happy to proudly declare to people in these regions where the bulk of our foreign investment had originated about it.
But the fact is, you don't need to be a statistician to see a strong correlation between economic development and liberalization of sex-regulating laws. Compare the per capita GDP of all the countries which don't have 377a-equivalent laws with that of those which have, and it's not hard to see a huge statistical significance.
For those who hate working with numbers (like I), just look compare the 2 blocs:
1) USA, Canada, European Union, Japan, Australia, NZ......that do not have 377a-like laws; and
2) Middle East and Africa where many countries still have 377a-like laws and of course, Singapore.
Which bloc is more prosperous and developed?
Indonesia will never be like Iran or Saudi. Hiding behind a monotheistical doctrine of lies for social control is joke.
while growing my uncle morty used to come over for coffee with my dad once a week to report all the killings and murders in the detroit neighborhood where he lived... his kids grew up paranoid and only ever went to community college, uncle morty was the most depressing guy i ever met, i really thank my dad for instilling values and confidence in me and breaking away from the doomsday news cycle of uncle morty
... what kind of logic is that? Thank goodness common sense prevailed.
And that pic is disturbing. Are we living in medieval time?
In the time of Jesus a large crowd had gathered as a woman was about to be stoned for some biblical offence, maybe lesbainism or eating prawns, so long ago..... who remembers these things. Anyway Jesus faces the stone wielding mob that was itching to shed some blood and utters the now famous words, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
All were struck silent. Suddenly. THUD! From behind the crowd a stone had made its way to its target.
Jesus looks up, fuming, "Mother!"
So please, don't think that this is a religious issue. It's a human issue.
If you know the history of Acheh, they were established as the first Islamic nation 6 centuries ago at least, and then went on a war with another ancient sultanate (Melaka) to determine who was more Muslim.
So please, it's just people being people who know no better than to be arrogant, backwards and senile in their quest for supposed salvation.
the exact fundamental brand of Islam that has been keeping people backwards, cruel, barbaric, inhumane, ignorant in most of the Muslim world today, while the rest of humanity has progressed.
Islam, Christianity, Judaism are all bearing the same problems between progressives and conservatives, those who apply their laws unto others, and those who think that religion is an individual choice.
The 'rest of humanity', as you put it, has not progressed at all.
Would you live in a place where being gay means being stoned to dealth or a hanging sentence? Yet in many Muslim countries this is being done.
Yes the rest of humanity have progressed, thank goodness for that. The Muslim world can stay where they are, except when they want to export this barbarism to the rest via terrorism, we must fight against it, there is no other choice!!
I believe in the fact that the people define the religion, regardless of whichever one it is.
Christians have the Westboro Baptist Church, Muslims have Acheh.
The major difference in between the two is the fact that people are ignorant enough to buy the bullshit story that Muslims actually stoned everyone to death by stoning for being gay because it's what God said. It's not. It's not in the Koran, nor in the Hadith.
It's actually Jewish and Christian culture.
Whatever Jewish or Christian or other religions have said or done, the undeniable fact is they no longer KILL people today based on adultery or pre-marital sex, or being gay. This is fundamentalist barbarism pure and simple.
I'm sure the town of Laramie would disagree...
Let me restate clearly: the debate here is about the LAWS of a society. Not crimes, crimes can happen anywhere. It is the Muslim laws sanctioning disproportionate, inhumane, and barbaric punishments including death to homosexuals (and many women) that are the subject here.
Your apologist attitude for Islam extremism simply makes it look worse not any better.
It is just in these days and time, some of the expectations/punishment from Islam are no longer relevant......
Stone a person to death when adultery is committed? that's civilize......
I'm not condoning Islamic extremism at all. Far from it. I'm an advocate for people to stop blaming religions for everything you think is wrong with it simply because you're too narrow minded to actually read through it and find out that it's being misinterpreted and used by extremists to justify their actions.
Death sentence by law, and society restrictions and discrimination, to gays in particular, are far from the same thing. One end is the extreme, the end of life, the other is a much much more LIVABLE alternative.
Why do you keep saying it is NOT religion??
Well, sure, there's a promise of an afterlife in hell, but in all Islamic sources in terms of RELIGION, there is no punishment for homosexuality.
-2 states in Malaysia (by your own admission)
-Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Mauritania, northern Nigeria, Sudan, Yemen
-former Afghanistan under the Taliban
These are all MUSLIM places, period.
Can you name one non-Muslim country with the same death to homos sentence please?
China has the largest Muslim population in the world. No death penalty.
Indonesia is the largest Muslim majority country in the world and only Acheh is screwed up enough to put this through and failed to do so because they are a secular nation.
Similarly, let's look at the case of Turkey, another Muslim majority country which practice secularism. It doesn't bear the death penalty because it is a secular nation with a Muslim majority, yet you had a father kill his gay son out of tradition, not religion, let's set that straight.
Honor killings, and this punishment on homosexuality is not in any way related to the religion, but merely the people who spread it without going through various channels of interpretation.
Similarly as to how some of them even to this day justify slavery and poligamy as being permissible by religion.
My point is: there must be a correlated and causal RELATIONSHIP between the Islam religion and Islamic Shariah laws, still enforced in many Muslim places, which are barbaric, cruel, backward, and downright inhumane.
Do not forget: traditions mainly came from religious practice.
Even when there is no death sentence, sodomy laws in many Muslim countries are terrifying. They are actually used, remember Anwar Ibrahim?
Another point: there must be a strong relationship between Islam and religious jihads or terrorism being waged around the world.
Great if you can convince your own brothers and sisters on the merits of a more humane and accepting Islam, not a homophobic, anti-infidels, women-honor killings, xenophobia religion.
Your anti-gay law is still on the books in Singapore, but is it ever enforced? Anti-gay laws were still on the books in many parts of the United States until just a few years ago, when they were struck down (finally) by the Supreme Court. (A previous Supreme Court --- in the 1970s --- had upheld such laws.) As I understand it: the government of Malaysia is still rabidly anti-gay, yet Malaysia has a large gay population. Presumably all still closeted. Remember never to set foot in Iran or Saudi Arabia, and I'd avoid Pakistan and Egypt too. Of course, no one in his right mind would set foot in Iraq --- whether gay or straight!
Your anti-gay law is still on the books in Singapore, but is it ever enforced? Anti-gay laws were still on the books in many parts of the United States until just a few years ago, when they were struck down (finally) by the Supreme Court. (A previous Supreme Court --- in the 1970s --- had upheld such laws.) As I understand it: the government of Malaysia is still rabidly anti-gay, yet Malaysia has a large gay population. Presumably all still closeted. Remember never to set foot in Iran or Saudi Arabia, and I'd avoid Pakistan and Egypt too. Of course, no one in his right mind would set foot in Iraq --- whether gay or straight!
And the tradition of stoning does come from religion, but not ISLAM, it's JEWISH~!
And honor killing of women started BEFORE the birth of ISLAM, and ISLAM itself frowns upon such practices.
Sigh...
No need to go anywhere, just take a look at the disgusting picture above.
Thank neither, thank the almighty dollar
I can only hope the madmen who support idiotic laws get washed away next time............
so, poverty besieges you guys for such a corrupted government, mr indo.
....and you think this is limited to Islam?
Five Muslim women beaten, tortured & then buried alive in Pakistan in the name of honor. The male mob murdered the women because they wanted to have love marriages. Violence against women including acid attacks, rapes & murder are common in Pakistan. Often carried out by men who are related to the women and/or from the same village as the women. The men carry out these evil acts against women because they feel it will restore their families honor in the village/society.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHcqdA8t4c4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIZJNrc8sKw&feature=related
gay club still increasing every where in here....so nobody care about it...unless just wanna bring it up in media for sensational. thats all
how many Muslims have died in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, so far?
While laws are meant to control the society, Shariah law still follows power, control and inhuman brutality to control. God (whatever you call him/her) never intended punishment to be so barbaric in the practice of religious beliefs. Draconian measures like this have no place in today's global community.
Really?
That's surprising, because I remember the IRA being labeled a terrorist organisation too.
Hindus perform honor killings and mutilation too. Christians persecuted intellectuals and still do.
Jews stoned people for saying Jehovah. Pagans and druids practiced cannibalism.
How many Muslims have been tourtured and killed by their own fellow countrymen in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, so far?
Better still, let me ask you how many non-muslims have been killed by the muslim in Xinjiang Province just a couple of months ago? And recently, just how many non-muslims have been attacked by the muslims in Xinjiang Province in the name fo God?
If Islam is a loving and kind religion as you've claimed it to be, then what is the basis of those extremists' who claimed that they are acting in the name of Allah? If they have twisted the true teaching of islam, then how come those sensible muslim didn't come out and declare jihad against those extremists who had given Islam a bad name? Isn't that a holy cause worth fighting for?
It is undeniable that shariah laws are archaic and barbaric. Just take a good look at most of the Muslim countries (including the Muslim majority countries).
religion is good, but sometimes over religion-oriented lead one loses
his/her own direction/personality.
do not ever overidden
That in no way absolves muslims from their crimes against humanity.
You are simply demonstrating some of the more endearing characteristics of your faith... hypocrisy and denial
Perhaps you should go and read up WHY the Xinjiang province is in turmoil before commenting.
#70
dense, it's not hypocrisy nor denial to state that Muslims are using their religion to justify violence by screwing up the interpretation for their own wants and goals. every religion does that.
and I thought u'd come up with something better... perhaps u SHOULD read more on the history of Xinjiang before asking me this question.
Despite your relentless effort (which to a certain extend, quite admirable) in holding on to your belief, your stand somehow seems so absurb and your arguement is getting weaker.
Again, if those extermists are screwing up the interpretation of Islam for their own wants and goal, why didn't sensible muslim, like yourself stand up against them and tell them to their face the true meaning of Islam? It's definitely more fruithful than arguing with us non-muslim here on the loving kindness of Islam. ;-)
Well Said.........
What makes you think I'm not...?
Well Said........."
It's one of those catchy phrases that is obviously untrue when people take the time to think about it.
I think it is very unfair to say all terrorists are Muslim. Any educated person in modern history knows that is not so. Some terrorists recently are christian, terrorising each other ( ie nothern Ireland) some have been have been motivated by politics.
Whatever the subject/issue in this forum here is, there are a few extremist views here, and its not coming from Muslims.
By critising a religion, is not only counter-productive, but it also pulls out the rug from those of whom it is their way of life.
To undermine somebody's faith is very cruel and demoralising.
Change comes from within, and from what I see it really is a matter of extremists in any religion/organisation that cause harm to those who are peaceful within it. There are many devoted Muslims who publicly speak in the west about the more moderate stances.
I am sure there are a lot of our Islamic brothers and sisters here in fridae, who are NOT attacking other religions, who dont agree with the extremist views, just as most christians abhorr the violence carried out over the past few decades within their own 'christian' denominations.
Lets not attack another religion because of minorities amongst it, but show respect and support those within it for their speaking out bravely and for their promotion of fairness and peacefulness.
I really admire Aput for his input in this forum. Im am sure that he is in the majority of those in his faith.
Look around you... open your eyes....Look at all those Muslim dominated countries....
After all the arguments, we here should still love one another because we are all ajs. It’s a statement of good a intention but some can interpret as discriminating ourselves from straights and others advocate we are peace loving people and to gain social acceptance.
The 377A is the same. Its better remain than not wheather its to make people who are against ajs happier or its better to remain intact so that law makers can motivate at their pleasures. Even the "top" people (our god) argue its for the good of majorities (people against ajs) and they do not enforce (for the aj victims) but the "bottom" people (the terrorists) abuse it. Authorities, laws and doctrines are abused. Opportunities are there and we intellectuals are good in capitalizing such opportunities for personal reasons. Hahaha, even when the "opportunities" are not there, people can still invent other means. China has no laws against ajs but ajs are abused. We, human are such "intelligient kind". So, who is to blame? I rest my case.
Sorry, if I unintentionally offend anybody here. There are many arguments and I do not intend to trigger another. Just my personal thoughts.
no offence but what is your point?
2.Men are capable of using it as a tool to manipulate others, in name of God......
Brothers and sisters, be wise and not fallen into the traps of such men.
Abraham, when you are in paradise right now seeing all these killings and torture, what do you have to say on the Day of Judgement?
And we are also a little better over the rejection of the legal product. At least they had acted on his conscience
1. Religion
2. People's interpretation of various religious texts.
The two things are very different. Most comments here show a superficial bigotry that is absolultely NO better than the bigotry shown by similarly unthinking attitudes towards homosexuality.
While it is nowhere near the violence as purported by some as being the Islamic way, it's as good as the death sentence in reality. In conclusion there will never be any gay Muslims around as they are tortured, murdered, brainwashed or at least being at risk by one or all of those acts.
jammyboi is a brainless parrot. He is "AH Q", the brainless main character from "The Story Of Ah Q" by Lushun.
#51 and #52 are just copied from an internet site titled "Prophet of Doom". This website extracts only the strong quotes but not mention the "but" quotations. The purpose of this website is to spread hate.
What difference is jammyboi from the misguided people around the world ? What is the difference him and the terrorist ??
By allowing #51 and #52 to be posted, the moderator at Fridae had allowed hate to spread.
Fridae is just a site to spread hate towards religions. Fridae is such a hypocrite.
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