December 27, 2009 - If you are annoyed when law enforcement pull you over for "small" crimes such a busted taillight or failure to stop fully at a red light, imagine a world where shari'ah law reigns and women can be whipped for showing more than their faces and hands. In the provincial capital Banda Aceh, Yuli is stopped by the Shariah Police even though she wears a helmet and drives her scooter slowly. Her crime: wearing tight jeans and a blouse deemed "un-Islamic." The 20-year-old doesn’t argue with the male officers, who summon her to the side of the road. "I promise to buy a more Muslim outfit," she says, showing enough contrition for the police to wave her on her way. In one hour, 18 women are pulled over, because the guardians of morality decide their slacks are too tight or their shirts reveal too much of their feminine curves. "We have to respect Shariah [Islamic] law, which has been adopted by the provincial government and which stipulates that women can only show their faces and their hands," Shariah Police commander Hali Marzuki told Agence France-Presse. Aceh has special autonomy, and one of the ways it has defined itself as different from the rest of the country is through the implementation of Shariah law and the advent of the religious police. The force has more than 1,500 officers, including 60 women. Click below for story.
In Enforcing Shariah Law, Religious Police in Aceh on Hemline Frontline
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