Legislators in the devoutly Muslim province of Aceh have passed the Islamic criminal code on Monday, allowing adulterers to be stoned to death. Homosexuals (including lesbians) and those caught having pre-marital sex will face up to 100 strokes with a cane and a prison term of up to eight years, say media reports.
Top: The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, the first mosque is said by some to have been built in the 13th Century. Aceh is believed to be the first place in Indonesia where Islam took root, brought by traders from the Middle East centuries ago.
According to The Jakarta Post, the ordinance will take effect within 30 days and will be applicable to both Muslims and non-Muslims. It further reports that the new bylaws did not include corruption, thefts and bribery as punishable crimes.
Located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, Aceh enjoys semi-autonomy from the central Indonesian government and one of 33 provinces in Indonesia to employ Sharia (Islamic law). A version of Sharia that was introduced in Aceh in 2001 already bans gambling and drinking alcohol, and makes it compulsory for women to wear headscarves.
Although the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed 130,000 there, the disaster helped trigger a peace agreement between the separatist Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian government after three decades of civil war that claimed 15,000 lives.
The bill was passed despite strong objections from human rights groups and the province's deputy governor, who said the legislation needed more careful consideration because it imposes a new form of capital punishment.
Destika Gilang Lestari, a human rights activist, was quoting as saying by Al Jazeera: "There are much more important sharia laws we need, for example against corruption. Why is there no rule against corruption? Why do they only look into people’s private lives?"
The new laws also imposes sentences and fines, to be paid in kilograms of gold, for rape and pedophilia.
Indonesia is the the world's most-populous Muslim country, with nearly 90 per cent of the population following Islam.