The island of Sumatra is a paradise. Its northern province of Aceh became known in 2004 because it was so severely hit by the tsunami that over 150,000 people lost their lives. Less well-known is that Islamic law, Sharia, is officially in force there.
Hell in paradise
In this beautiful province, whose capital is Banda Aceh, nearly a quarter of a million people live. Estimates indicate 99 percent Muslims. Indonesia allowed the province in 2001 to apply Sharia Law. Since then, women who do not “dress appropriately” are punished. LGBT individuals are also among the groups that must endure severe physical punishments.
Courts in Aceh convict people for “offenses” according to their interpretation of Sharia. In video footage from this province, no woman is seen without a headscarf. It is one of the few places where Islamic rule exists in such a way that Islamic law is also applied to non-Muslims.
A few weeks ago, video footage surfaced showing two twenty-year-olds receiving 80 public lashes. The religious police had arrested them, and the sentence sanctioned their “illicit relations”—meaning...
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