Aceh Clerics Hit Back at Amnesty International’s Statement
Nurdin Hasan | May 23, 2011
A Sharia law official whips a man convicted of unlawful contact between unmarried man and woman with a rattan stick during a public caning in Jantho, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, April 8, 2011. A version of Islamic law was introduced in the province in 2001 as part of negotiations to end the 29-year war between separatist rebels and the military. The law bans gambling, drinking alcohol and makes it compulsory for women to wear headscarves. (AP Photo/Heri Juanda) Related articles
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442642These clerics really demonstrate little understanding of the issue.
Caning in Singapore is very different to that in Indonesia.
It is only applied to men under 50, not women, and is not carried out in public.
In spite of this it HAS been criticised by Amnesty International.
Maybe their understanding of sharia is a bit better than you would admit.
Your mention of headscarfs is a complete mystery as what have they to do with punishment or torture?
Amnesty have also criticised Israel many times.
You really should learn to research things before making nonsense statements in public.
Or is research unislamic?
Putrimawar.. "For your reference: I'm a moslem, and a damned good moslem."
That's nice...... So please answer my burning question. Terrorists aside, I think we all understand that they are manipulating Islam and all of us here despise that fact. I came to these boards to have a voice, based on a number of events that I have witnessed in Indonesia over the last few years. Most notably, the number of assaults and attempted murder of Christians in Bekasi by "damned good Moslems" and the cold blooded murder of 3 Ahmadis, also by "damned good Moslems". Not to mention numerous other blasphemous acts such as burning, defacing and closing of churches and deprivation of rights of minority groups to worship their God by "damned good Moslems".
So, my question..... Do you as a "damn good Moslem" denounce the continued persecution of the Ahamdis after they declared in writing to the Indonesian Govt in 2008, that Muhammad IS the last prophet..... Or do you agree that this minority sect that truly practises peace and love, is heretical, treacherous, even BLASPHEMOUS in the practising of their version of Islam and deserve to be obliterated by all "damn good Moslems"?
A simple yes/no question that I will understand if you lack the intestinal fortitude to answer, given that your religion doesn't allow you to question it or form your own opinions of it as this would be deemed to be blasphemous... ....
Dr Dez
A most eloquent post that I think encapsulates what so many of us feel, bravo.
@DrDez,
US christian fundamentalist killed even more muslims around the world with F16, abrams tanks, and tomahawk missiles.
Didn't george bush say that he invaded iraq and afganistan because god told him to do so.
I feel sorry for moslems. You are actually victim of culture. One who was born in Moslem family would likely to be a moslem instead of embracing another faith. It is not because of his willingness but as a result of cultural indoctrination. Once someone being a moslem than this person would be blinded by fanaticism so he/she can't see things fairly. This belief actually at the beginning is introduced by family and after sometimes it gains its absolute truth base on individual judgement which, of course, is not fair judgement and we call it faith.
Banda Aceh. Acehnese clerics have criticized Amnesty International's call for the Indonesian government to repeal a bylaw that allowed caning, arguing that the practice did not violate any regulation in the world.
In a statement released on Sunday, Amnesty said that caning violated the UN Convention Against Torture, which Indonesia ratified in 1998, and urged central government to review the bylaw to conform with international and national human rights laws and standards.
Clerics in Banda Aceh, however, dismissed the criticism, saying it originated from an ignorance of Shariah law, Islam and Indonesia.
“It is their right to criticize,” said Teungku Muslim Ibrahim, head of the province’s Consultative Assembly of Ulema (MPU) and a professor at Aceh's State Islamic Institute (IAIN). “But as long as they do not seek to understand Shariah, they will continue to criticize something they know little about.”
He said the regulation governing caning as judicial punishment was in line with the country’s laws and did “not violate any regulation in the world.”
Caning adopted partial Shariah Law in 2001 as part of an autonomy package aimed at quelling separatist sentiment. Caning carried out there is mainly aimed at causing shame rather than injury. It is also used as a mandatory punishment for certain crimes in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
“People criticize because they don't understand. The rules in Aceh are clear,” Muslim said. “The Koran says that those who believe in Allah and Rasulullah Muhammad Sallalaahu Alaihi Wassalam must not abide by laws other than the ones determined by their God."
He added that caning did not violate the UN Convention on Human Rights because the convention respected compromises made by a community, big or small.
“Moreover, the Islamic community in Aceh is a majority. Caning is only applied to Islamic followers,” Muslim said, adding that regulations applied to the size and length of the cane as well as the distance between the Shariah violator and punishment executor.
Teungku Faisal Ali, the head of the Aceh chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said those who criticized caning in Aceh tended to "dislike" Islam.
“Why didn't they criticize caning in Singapore? Why didn't they protest the banning of the head scarf in France? Why didn't they protest Israel, which keeps on violating the UN resolutions?” said Faisal, who is also the secretary of Aceh's Dayah Ulama Association (Huda), an organization comprised of the province's traditional ulema.
“I think Amnesty International doesn't have to intervene the application of Islamic Shariah in Aceh,” he added.
“Tell me, what law is violated in Aceh's application of Shariah? What we apply in Aceh is a national law, which has been acknowledged as part of Aceh's special autonomy. Everyone must respect Islamic Shariah in Aceh,” he said.
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