Jakarta worried about local Sharia-inspired laws
After months of silence, the Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Ministry announced a review of ordinances that are accused by many of going against principles enshrined in the Constitution. In June, the Home Affairs Minister had said it was up to local governors to deal with the matter.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) After a long silence, the Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Ministry yesterday promised to review local government bylaws accused of discriminating against minority groups and going against principles enshrined in the Constitution.
Minister Hamid Awaluddin said he would coordinate with the Home Affairs Ministry, which had repeatedly promised to scrutinize the constitutionality of regional laws, but then in June put the onus to do so on individual local governors.
Since 2004, when regional autonomy came into force, 22 regencies and municipalities adopted Sharia-inspired laws: some criminalize conduct that is banned by Islamic law like adultery, prostitution, gambling, alcoholism and further, they restrict women's freedom.
Minority groups, Muslim academics and the MPs of several political parties have long been calling on Jakarta to cancel such ordinances, warning against the "creeping" Islamization of Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world.
An anti-prostitution bylaw enacted by Tangerang regency in 2005 sparked strong protests after a woman was accused of being a prostitute just because she was walking on the street alone at night. Regions such as South Sulawesi and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam have adopted bylaws requiring state officials to be able to read Arabic.
Months ago, Widodo Adisucipto, Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, said that more than 85% of local ordinances were full of contradictions and many were blocking overseas investments.
Hamid said the Justice Ministry would set a human rights standard that must be respected by regional ordinances. The review would be carried out by officials at provincial legal and human rights offices. But the last word on the repeal of "incriminated" bylaws would lie with the Home Affairs Ministry, which has not yet made any statements about the matter.
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