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Indonesia's province of Aceh has passed a new law making adultery punishable by stoning to death, a member of the province's parliament has said.
The law also imposes severe sentences for rape, homosexuality, alcohol consumption and gambling.
Opponents had tried to delay the law, saying more debate was needed because it imposes capital punishment.
Sharia law was partially introduced in Aceh in 2001, as part of a government offer to pacify separatist rebels.
A peace deal in 2005 ended the 30-year insurgency, and many of the former rebels have now entered Aceh's government, which enjoys a degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.
The legislation was passed unanimously by Aceh's regional legislature, said assembly member Bahrom Rasjid.
"This law will be effective in 30 days with or without the approval of Aceh's governor," he said.
The governor of Aceh, a former rebel with the Free Aceh Movement, is opposed to strict Sharia law. He had urged more debate over the bill.
'Moral degradation'
Married people convicted of adultery can be sentenced to death by stoning. Unmarried people can be sentenced to 100 lashes with a cane.
Previously, Aceh's partially-adopted Sharia law enforced Muslim dress codes and mandatory prayers.
"This law is a preventive measure for Acehnese people so that they will avoid moral degradation," said Moharriyadia, a spokesman for the Prosperous Justice Party.
A new parliament will be sworn in next month, after local polls saw the moderate Aceh Party win the most seats in the provincial assembly.
The Aceh Party has said it will review the law once the new parliament is sitting.
"It needs more public consultation. We need to involve the ulemas - the Islamic clerics - in drafting the law," said Adnan Beuransah, a spokesperson for the Aceh Party.
About 90% of Indonesia's 235 million people are Muslim, practising a moderate form of the religion.
Oddly enough, it appears that this is the will of the people. It is difficult to continue an insurgency for thirty years without local sympathy.
Even more odd is the fact that the moderates have not spoken out against the law. If the Aceh Party is moderate, shouldn't it have rejected this rather distasteful law outright, instead of saying that the clerics need to be involved? And how could the people have elected people like this?
If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that the people actually want this law to come into force. But it's probably that the most vocal and radical minority of Muslim extremists come out to vote in the largest numbers, so the large majority of moderates have less of a voice than they should.
Indonesia's province of Aceh has passed a new law making adultery punishable by stoning to death, a member of the province's parliament has said.
The law also imposes severe sentences for rape, homosexuality, alcohol consumption and gambling.
Opponents had tried to delay the law, saying more debate was needed because it imposes capital punishment.
Sharia law was partially introduced in Aceh in 2001, as part of a government offer to pacify separatist rebels.
A peace deal in 2005 ended the 30-year insurgency, and many of the former rebels have now entered Aceh's government, which enjoys a degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.
The legislation was passed unanimously by Aceh's regional legislature, said assembly member Bahrom Rasjid.
"This law will be effective in 30 days with or without the approval of Aceh's governor," he said.
The governor of Aceh, a former rebel with the Free Aceh Movement, is opposed to strict Sharia law. He had urged more debate over the bill.
'Moral degradation'
Married people convicted of adultery can be sentenced to death by stoning. Unmarried people can be sentenced to 100 lashes with a cane.
Previously, Aceh's partially-adopted Sharia law enforced Muslim dress codes and mandatory prayers.
"This law is a preventive measure for Acehnese people so that they will avoid moral degradation," said Moharriyadia, a spokesman for the Prosperous Justice Party.
A new parliament will be sworn in next month, after local polls saw the moderate Aceh Party win the most seats in the provincial assembly.
The Aceh Party has said it will review the law once the new parliament is sitting.
"It needs more public consultation. We need to involve the ulemas - the Islamic clerics - in drafting the law," said Adnan Beuransah, a spokesperson for the Aceh Party.
About 90% of Indonesia's 235 million people are Muslim, practising a moderate form of the religion.
Even more odd is the fact that the moderates have not spoken out against the law. If the Aceh Party is moderate, shouldn't it have rejected this rather distasteful law outright, instead of saying that the clerics need to be involved? And how could the people have elected people like this?
If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that the people actually want this law to come into force. But it's probably that the most vocal and radical minority of Muslim extremists come out to vote in the largest numbers, so the large majority of moderates have less of a voice than they should.
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