There has an Islamic revival sweeping Indonesia. So-called “born-again” Muslims are driving social change, as well as the economy. Sharia is fast becoming the center of every aspect of Indonesian life, featuring Muslim-targeted housing, Sharia banking and a soaring demand for halal food.
Invariably, with Islamic revival come the abuses that go hand-in-hand with it.
Indonesia is poised to pass a new penal code that criminalizes sex outside marriage and introduces stiff penalties for insulting the president’s dignity….Lawmakers said the new penal code, which would replace a Dutch colonial-era set of laws, is a long-overdue expression of Indonesian independence and religiosity.
Abusive laws under a new criminal code were set to be passed next week, but have now been delayed by Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo:
After an outpouring of opposition to many of its provisions from rights activists, women’s groups, legal experts and other Indonesians, Mr. Joko announced that he had asked lawmakers to drop the legislation and leave the matter for the next Parliament, which will be seated in October.
Under these laws, Indonesia’s “substantial Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities” will be increasingly persecuted, while millions will risk jail for sex-related offenses.
Everywhere in the world that Islamic law is applied, intolerance and gross human rights violations follow, and of course, accusations of “Islamophobia” for calling it out.
“Millions may risk jail as Indonesia looks to criminalize sex outside wedlock,” Reuters, September 19, 2019:
JAKARTA – Indonesia is poised to pass a new penal code that criminalizes sex outside marriage and introduces stiff penalties for insulting the president’s dignity.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country and has substantial Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities but has seen a recent trend toward deeper religious piety and conservative Islamic activism.
After parliament and the government agreed on a final draft on Wednesday, four parliamentarians said the new criminal code will be adopted in the next week.
Lawmakers said the new penal code, which would replace a Dutch colonial-era set of laws, is a long-overdue expression of Indonesian independence and religiosity.
“The state must protect citizens from behavior that is contrary to the supreme precepts of God,” said Nasir Djamil, a politician from the Prosperous Justice Party. He said leaders of all religions had been consulted on the changes, given that Indonesia’s founding ideology was based on belief in God.
Under the proposed laws, unmarried couples who “live together as a husband and wife” could be jailed for six months or face a maximum fine of 10 million rupiah ($710) — three months’ salary for many Indonesians.
A prosecution can proceed if a village chief, who heads the lowest tier of government, files a complaint with police and if parents or children of the accused do not object. Parents, children and spouses can also lodge a complaint.
The inclusion of the new power for village chiefs was warranted because “the victim of adultery is also society,” said another lawmaker, Teuku Taufiqulhadi.
The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, an NGO, said millions of Indonesians could be ensnared by the new laws. It noted a study indicating that 40 percent of Indonesian adolescents engage in pre-marital sexual activity.
“Across the board, this is a ratcheting up of conservatism. It’s extremely regressive,” said Tim Lindsey, director of the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society.
A maximum one-year prison term also can be applied to a person who has sex with someone who is not their spouse and a close family member lodges a complaint.
The law also affects homosexuals because gay marriage is not recognized in Indonesia. The code establishes prison terms for those found to commit “obscene acts,” defined as violating norms of decency and politeness through “lust or sexuality,” whether by heterosexuals or gay people…..