Stoning to death: New Islamic law in Indonesia's Aceh province

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A brief overview of some key articles in the expanded Islamic law passed Monday by the regional parliament in Indonesia Aceh's province:

ADULTERY: "Any person who deliberately commits adultery is threatened with 100 cane lashes for the unmarried and stoning to death for those who are married."

HOMOSEXUALITY: "Any person deliberately performing homosexuality or lesbianism is threatened with up to 100 cane lashes and a maximum fine of 1,000 grams of fine gold, or imprisonment of up to 100 months."

PEDOPHILIA: "Any person who deliberately commits a sexual crime against children is threatened with a variable sentence of up to 200 cane lashes and a fine of up to 2,000 grams of fine gold, or maximum imprisonment of 200 months."

RAPE: "Any person who deliberately commits rape is threatened with at least 100 cane lashes and maximum 300 cane lashes or imprisonment of at least 100 months and a maximum of 200 months."

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Legislators in Indonesia's Aceh province have unanimously approved a law allowing adulterers to be stoned to death.

The regional parliament for the devoutly Muslim province on Monday passed the "qanun jinayat", or sharia law for crimes, also allowing for homosexuality to be punishable by long prison terms and people caught having pre-marital sex to receive 100 strokes with a cane.

Aceh's parliament is the only legislature in Indonesia - the most populous Muslim nation in the world - to employ sharia (Islamic law).

Opponents and supporters of the law, which is to come into effect within 30 days, demonstrated outside parliament on Monday.

All members of the 69-seat house voted for the bill, although some moderate Democrat Party parliamentarians earlier voiced opposition to it.



Demonstrators for and against the law were outside parliament on Monday [EPA]

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'Violates international law'

However, the bill has been heavily criticised by human rights groups who have said that stoning people to death violates international conventions to which Indonesia is a signatory.

"There are much more important sharia laws we need, for example against corruption... Why do they only look into peoples private lives" Destika Gilang Lestari, human rights activist

Destika Gilang Lestari, a human rights activist, said: "There are much more important sharia laws we need, for example against corruption. Why is there no rule against corruption? Why do they only look into peoples private lives?"

The provincial government initially proposed the law, however, it has since said that it rejects some of the bill's clauses and wants to make further revisions.

Mohammad Naza, the province's deputy governor, said that he will do all he can to have the law reviewed.

"We have to synchronize with the situation of the people. Aceh is different than the Middle East," he said.

The law was passed two weeks before a new, more moderate, parliament is to be sworn in, replacing conservative Muslim parties following an election defeat. Some analysts have said that this will lead to the law being toned down.

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FOXNews: The Stoning of Soraya M.



FOXNews. July 08, 2009.

Stranded in a remote Iranian village, Sahebjam is approached by Zahra, a woman with a harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances of her death just one day before. Her shocking story exposes the dark power of mob rule, uncivil law, and the utter lack of human rights for women under Islamic law. Her last and only hope for some measure of justicelies in the hands of the journalist who must escape with the story--and his life--so the whole world will know.