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NEWS & LETTERS, October - November 2009
World in View
Fundamentalism contested in Aceh
by Gerry Emmett
In April parliamentary elections, voters in Aceh rejected hard-line Islamist parties. But the outgoing parliament is using its last days to pass a variety of measures that include requiring women to wear headscarves, possible death by stoning for "adultery," and whipping for premarital sex or homosexual activity. Some current lawmakers declined to endorse these new measures, but none voted against them.
The current governor of Aceh, Irwandi Yusuf, is a former leader of the armed resistance, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). He was elected following the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding with the Indonesian government, which granted Aceh limited autonomy. He has been silent on the proposal, but his government has so far refused to ratify the parliament's legislation.
Aceh is usually claimed to be one of the most religiously conservative regions of Indonesia. But during the freedom struggle, GAM made some exemplary calls for the independence movement to reject the support of reactionary fundamentalist groups. The many women who participated in Aceh's struggle will be unlikely to accept the current proposed legislation. It would be tragic if Aceh fell now to such reactionary tendencies. It is to be hoped that the new parliament will reject such an outcome.
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