Posted on 04/30/2007 1:20:04 PM PDT by dmh191
Aceh is a tropical paradise that attracted thousands of tourists per year until a devastating tsunami struck Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004. The concomitant death and destruction is well known. Also well documented in the world press has been the slow pace of the clean up operation, which affects the recovery of the tourist industry - the mainstay of the province's economy.
A dramatic change of a very different sort, however, may have rendered Aceh permanently unrecognizable to those who enjoyed its sybaritic pleasures. Aceh has been governed by Sharia, the strict Islamic law that Islamic militants have sought to forcefully impose in Muslim nations worldwide.
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) has fought small-scale guerilla battles in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, over the past couple of years. JI is responsible for the bombings that shook Bali several years ago and is suspected of having strong ties to al-Qaida.
After the tsunami, activists declared a unilateral cease-fire and immediately hit the beach with offers of aid and support for the devastated population. (Both Hamas and Hezbollah, among several others, have employed this tactic to bolster their growth.)
The stratagem worked. The years of terror attacks were overshadowed by this act of seeming good will and the Acehnese voted into office lawmakers who would eventually pass legislation handing over rule to supporters of Sharia.
It may have been their last chance for free elections and the changes since then have been sweeping on all fronts. This further placed the liberty of free speech in jeopardy, as many scholars believe that those who oppose Sharia in the region are now fearful of speaking out. The men, women and children of Aceh are forced to conform to the Islamists' strict view of their faith, in stark contrast with the secularism that prevails through most of the rest of Indonesia. Everyone must cover themselves completely; however, this law is hardly enforced for men. Women are required to adhere to a strict curfew, wear hijabs (head scarves), and must have a male escort after a certain hour.
Failure to comply with any law may lead to severe punishment. Additionally, Sharia is hardly compatible with the tourist industry that was the mainstay of the Island's economy.
The German Press Corporation (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) recently declared Aceh's Sharia police as "Taliban-style Islamic police terrorizing Indonesia's Aceh." Most recently, the International Crisis Group (ICG) reported that both the poor and women in Aceh have had their rights taken away. To those who understand radical Islam, this comes as no surprise. Often, Sharia, but mainly the proponents of such ideas, leads to unruly side effects.
An Islamist state, while clearly favored by some in the region, impedes the civil liberties held so dearly by most other Indonesians. Aceh has become a Sharia police state ruled by the strong with the weak at their mercy. The strong have little regard for those with less power, thus it is necessary for the Sharia-grounded state to accept inalienable rights for all citizens if it wants to continue. Without this, atrocities will continue on a daily basis.
This not only impedes physical rights, but also intellectual ones. A primary problem with religion being forced upon citizens is that these individuals become unable to accept religion with the pure use of reason. A personal commitment demonstrates a person's true dedication. The faculty of reason allows individuals to act as humans. The attraction to religion stems from its ability to make people more human by guiding them to the realization of a higher being through the use of reason, not through imposition.
In order for Sharia to be a fully viable solution to the problems of citizens, it must take into account the imperfections of human beings. Thus, any interpretation of the Quran and Hadith (scholarly text) would have the possibility of being incorrect. Of course, any reasonable person would be able to recognize the fallibility of humans and realize that mistakes are unavoidable.
Sharia-based states hardly allow this as a possibility. Rather, fatwas (religious mandates) are considered the final rule and all Muslims in such a state are required to follow these dictates. Radicalism must not be forced on those with different beliefs; rather, a systematic change is necessary. Humanity must be preserved, and in order to ensure this, people must be allowed to make their own decisions. In a liberal state, this as well as civil discussions would be widely accepted in a truly humane way.
This liberal state would allow for discourse and perhaps cause people to change their minds and accept Islam. That is the beauty of liberal democracy. A liberal state allows for people of different beliefs to come together, discuss their ideas, and eventually come to reasonable conclusions. This idea has become the model for states that promote freedom. However, the liberal state recognizes the fallibility of humans and thus implements basic rights that each citizen is guaranteed.
People whose actions differ from a given perception of Islam only affect those who make those decisions. Step back and put yourself in the shoes of the oppressed. Imagine for a second what your reaction would be if you were forced to live under such rule. It is hard to imagine life without inalienable rights. It is hard to imagine not being able to express yourself. It is hard to imagine not being able to say what is on your mind.
Of course the Indonesians are different from us.
Of course they have different customs.
But we share a commonality of being humans.
An Islamic state in Indonesia only weakens the religion and the region. It violates human rights and impedes lives. Without this much needed transition, Aceh and its Sharia governance must continue to face both international and domestic scrutiny.
The tsunami that struck Aceh has been chronicled worldwide as a disaster. However, the imposition of Sharia may prove to be an even larger one.
Wherever islam goes, misery and mayhem follow.
The very ignorant feminazis who support this crappy religion are the first ones that will feel the wrath of these heathens.
Your prediction also applies to the coming events in the US.
The decision of allowing Muslim immigration is already Europe’s downfall and will also be this country’s ruin. Why this fact is not recognized by the government is beyond my comprehension.
Insanity going on. I wish the reps would call for a total halt on all immigration and then call for a nationwide people vote
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