[nasional_list] [ppiindia] A Taliban-like state in Aceh
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- Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 15:19:07 +0200
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**http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/world/10064559.html
Published: 09/03/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)
Illustration by Dwynn Trazo/Gulf News
A Taliban-like state in Aceh
By Abdulla Al Madani, Special to Gulf News
One year has passed since Jakarta and the Free Aceh Movement,
locally known as GAM, signed a peace agreement that ended nearly three decades
of armed conflict in Indonesia's province of Aceh.
Unlike peace agreements signed in the past, this one seemed to be
firmly taking hold, something that was attributed to both parties' trust and
respect of the deal. This has helped reduce the number of security forces in
the province, decommission GAM fighters' weapons, and negotiate the aspects of
the agreed autonomous rule. In July, for example, Indonesian parliament
approved the basic law on Aceh governance, a move that would enable Acehnese
groups to organise themselves and peacefully contest local elections planned to
be held in November.
While these developments were welcomed by the country's political
parties and viewed as an achievement of the national government under President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a successful move to reinforce civilian control
over the military establishment, there have also been some signs of
dissatisfaction and fear. Many individuals and groups have argued that the
autonomy issue that included in the Aceh peace deal may encourage other
Indonesian provinces to seek the same, especially with the presence of
separatist movements in Papua and ethnic conflict in Sulawesi and Ambon.
Consequences
A more worrying issue, however, has been the consequences of the
implementation of Sharia law in Aceh, a freedom granted as part of the autonomy
package. This may spread to other parts of Indonesia, in which Islam has never
been declared the national religion despite that nearly 90 per cent of the
country's population of 230 million are Muslim. In the post-former dictator
Suharto democratic era, there have been growing campaigns led by several
radical Islamic movements to implement Sharia, a comprehensive set of laws that
govern everything from banking to theft and adultery.
According to recent reports, some members belonging to these
movements, such as the Islamic Defenders Front and the Indonesian Mujadideen
Council, have already moved to Aceh to help the latter's autonomous
administration implement Sharia law and probably to use the province as a base
for their dream of making Indonesia an Islamic state. The danger here stems
from the fact that Aceh is a resource-rich prov-ince, and consequently can
finance such a dream, especially that the autonomy package gives it a greater
share of revenue from its natural gas reserves, estimated at 40 billion cubic
metres.
It should be remembered that Aceh was first granted permission to
implement partial Sharia law and have its own Sharia-based educational system
in 2001. At the time, this was an attempt by then president Abdurrahman Wahid
to dampen separatist sentiment in the province and persuade GAM to end its
guerrilla war, in which more than 12,000 people have been killed.
Since 2002 many Sharia courts have been established and flogging
has sporadically been carried out in public as a punishment for theft, bribery,
adultery, alcohol-drinking and gambling. In recent months, however, this has
not only been carried out frequently but also been used as a punishment for
other practices such as betting in a lottery, running a dancing party,
deserting Friday prayers, and wearing tight clothes or abandoning head scarves
by women.
Some provincial officials have talked about the implementation of
even tougher Sharia measures in the near future. This has provoked fears among
local women who think the Acehnese religious authorities have now the power to
gradually turn the province into a Taliban-like state where females have no
rights to work or join schools.
Foreign investors
Should Aceh become fully an Islamic state and aforementioned Sharia
measures be implemented on a larger scale, Indonesia's image as a moderate
Muslim country and a secular state would be ruined. Jakarta would not only be
criticised by its Western allies and Southeast Asian partners, but might also
be boycotted by foreign investors. Probably because of this, in addition to
concerns about the national unity and integrity, Indonesia's two largest
moderate Muslim organisations, Muhammadiyah and Nahdhatul Ulama, have always
opposed state-imposed Sharia, saying it would create disputes not only between
Muslims and non-Muslims but also among Indonesian Muslims themselves, owning to
their different schools of Islam.
But does such a view represent the majority of Indonesian people?
The answer can be derived from a recent survey conducted in July
and August. According to the outcome, 70 per cent backed the current secular
system, 60 per cent opposed the implementation of Sharia law, 77 per cent
opposed to making women wear Muslim dress, 77.3 per cent were against cutting
off the hand of a thief, and 71.2 per cent disagreed with the death penalty for
Muslim converting from Islam.
Dr Abdullah Al Madani is an academic researcher and lecturer on
Asian affairs.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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