Potential Indonesian Law: Commit Adultery; Get Stoned to Death

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Yes, this sort of religiously-motivated brutality is still being taken seriously in parts of the world:

Muslims who commit adultery in Indonesia’s Aceh province may be stoned to death under a controversial new sharia law passed by the local parliament on Monday.

…

The provincial government initially proposed the law but now says it rejects some of the clauses added by parliament and wants to make some further revisions.

A new parliament will be sworn in next month which may be more willing to tone down the law, some experts said.

…

“We feel that it is time now for people to understand the real meaning of sharia,” said Bustanul Arifin, secretary of Aceh parliament’s special committee for drafting the law, and a member of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

So, adultery — presumably taking place between consenting adults — could be punishable by death.

Rape, on the other hand, will (only) earn you “100-200 strokes of a rattan cane — in public — and 100-200 months in jail.” But you’ll still live.

And homosexuality? That’ll get you public lashings and up to 100 months in prison.

I don’t know where these particular Islamic punishments derive from, but it’s frightening that people could find them reasonable.

Americans complain about entanglement of church and state, religion and politics… but when you hear about what goes on in other countries, you realize our issues are trivial in comparison to other parts of the world where religion really does control everything.

(Thanks to Jude for the link)

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  • Valdyr

    This is a new law? When I saw the title, I expected a posting about how someone noticed an archaic law still technically on the books that might be enforced if someone chose to.

    A new law? Really? I..don’t really know what to say here. Wow. My mainstream-liberal friends would cringe at this, but I’m really starting to feel like Islam is worse than Christianity. Like, significantly.

  • http://godlessartist.blogspot.com/ Kilre

    Chilling.

  • Miko

    So, that’s the punishment for the rapist. What about the rape victim? She gets death, right?

    @Valdyr: Witch burnings and inquisitions. Christianity isn’t as objectionable at the present moment, but that’s solely because it lacks the political power to do these things.

  • Efogoto

    If a married man commits rape (obviously not involving his own property, like his wife [/sarcasm]), is that considered rape or adultery? If a married woman is raped, is that adultery on her part? If neither is considered adultery, why wouldn’t the pair when found out declare the whole thing to be rape to avoid the more serious punishment?

    I found arguing the rules in D&D to be a lot more fun and much less stomach churning.

  • gmcfly

    Hey, they’re just upholding traditional marriage. Right, fundies? Who are we to infringe upon their religious freedom?

  • Staceyjw

    How backwards and uncivilized. The question should be- what can be done to stop this? I have no problem asserting that this law is morally wrong, and pushing for policy changes that could make a difference. I know its a cultural thing, but it is still WRONG.

    It does show how good we have it, but its still important to care about the little things. Even though I don’t generally promote the idea of “slippery slope”, its true that if you give religious fanatics an inch, they will take a mile (then 10 miles, and on, and on, etc.).

    Staceyjw

  • gribblethemunchkin

    What about the penalties if an atheist does this in indonesia?

    I can’t help but think that as these silly laws get put into place its almost an arguement to deconvert.

    However i do recall a little something about death for apostates, so maybe thats not such a hot idea either.

  • http://www.CoreyMondello.com Corey Mondello

    Miko Says:
    @Valdyr: Witch burnings and inquisitions. Christianity isn’t as objectionable at the present moment, but that’s solely because it lacks the political power to do these things.

    ME: In the USA Christianity may not be killing off people, (except the usual abortion doctor killer) but around the world there are PLENTY of folks being burnt alive and tortured for being “witches”. This video was presented right here a few months back: http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/04/19/burned-at-the-stake-after-being-accused-of-witchcraft/

    Also, many Christians are the reasons why non-christians get killed:

    HOW CHRISTIANS GET AMERICANS KILLED !!!
    Story:

    In Afghanistan, the U.S. Soldier as Christian Proselytizers

    Source:

    http://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/in-afghanistan-the-us-soldier-as-christian-poselytizer/#comment-7632

  • Bráulio Bezerra

    All major leaders in the world should say something about this atrocity in the public media. If they don’t, they’ll have some part of the responsibility for the hundreds of deaths that will occur.

  • Claudia

    Rape, on the other hand, will (only) earn you “100-200 strokes of a rattan cane — in public — and 100-200 months in jail.” But you’ll still live.

    I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 100-200 lashes could easily kill you. It sounds like being beaten to death.

  • TXatheist
  • http://www.lifetechnmore.com Adam Husain

    These laws are not any better or worse then ours in the U.S! People here commit adultery and even murder and if they have a good enough lawyer they get off with not even a slap on the wrist! The judicial system sucks! And this is proof that it is not just in america! It sucks everywhere! I believe that there are things that people do that should be punishable by death! But not everyone feels that way which is why the laws are ridiculous. I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinions!

  • TXatheist

    Stoning is the same as lethal injection? I disagree. I also happen to be against the death penalty.

  • Richard Wade

    Americans complain about entanglement of church and state, religion and politics… but when you hear about what goes on in other countries, you realize our issues are trivial in comparison to other parts of the world where religion really does control everything.

    Yes, we have it better. That’s because hundreds of thousands of men and women have died fighting tyranny of all kinds to protect our freedom. The danger now is that far too many Americans take their freedom for granted, and have become lax and apathetic about the constant insinuation of religion into our government and our laws. Theocracy won’t be established here by a bloody insurgency, it will be built slowly, quietly, one compromised principle at a time, one unlearned lesson from history at at time, one unchallenged policy at a time.

    The First Amendment won’t be dramatically burned, it will just be forgotten.

    There is no guarantee that civilizations only move forward. They can also regress. The religiously justified barbarism we see around the world looks like something from the past, but it is really our own future if we fail to preserve the gift of liberty that is incessantly nibbled away by those who would re-make us all in their own image.

    We must not continue to be the spoiled children of great men and women.

  • http://endfaith.blogspot.com Just Some Guy

    Yeah, but what about homosexual adultery? Do you get the lashes, then the prison, then the stoning?

    And yes this sh*t is for real, folks: When you hear the man say “we feel that it is time now for people to understand the real meaning of sharia”, you need to realize that he thinks he’s proposing a moral and ethical *improvement* to culture.

    That’s how greatly Muslim fundamentalists conflict with the modern world.

    Whoa hey wait a second – I just read the source article – http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINJAK43424520090914 – and according to it, only “Muslims who commit adultery in Indonesia’s Aceh province may be stoned to death.”

    So – this only applies if I’m Muslim? Halleluluja, I have the sudden undeniable calling to convert to – uh – any other religion. :P