The Indonesian province of Aceh has become increasingly brutal in its application of Sharia. Several weeks ago, a group of Muslims dumped sewage on the heads of couple for violating the Sharia. Their “crime” was being alone together in a room. From the raid of university campuses in search of gays to floggings for playing entertainment games that have been deemed haram, Aceh province’s brutal Sharia patrols are out in force to punish any action deemed to be a violation of Islamic law.
But now comes a new twist:
Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province will no longer allow canings for violations of Shariah law to be carried out in public, its governor said Thursday, apparently in response to international condemnation of the caning last year of two men for gay sex that damaged Indonesia’s moderate image.
“Moderate”? Aceh is governed by the brutal supremacist Sharia, no matter how its leaders try to portray it. Why are Aceh’s leaders now resorting to the deceit of hiding its enforcement of Sharia from public view? Are they ashamed of Islamic law, even as they consider it to be the perfect law of Allah?
“Indonesia’s Aceh to take caning indoors after backlash,” Associated Press, April 13, 2018:
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province will no longer allow canings for violations of Shariah law to be carried out in public, its governor said Thursday, apparently in response to international condemnation of the caning last year of two men for gay sex that damaged Indonesia’s moderate image.
A memorandum of understanding signed by Aceh Gov. Irwandi Yusuf and Yuspahruddin, head of the provincial Law and Human Rights office, stipulates that caning can only take place inside prisons or other places of detention.
It says adults can still witness the punishment but recording won’t be allowed. The numbers of people will be much smaller than the hundreds who regularly cheered the outdoor proceedings.
“The aim of holding the caning inside prison is to prevent it from being watched by children, without cameras and hand phones,” Yusuf said after signing the memorandum, witnessed by Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly….