Women banned from ‘straddling' bikes
A new bylaw in the Indonesian province of Aceh that will ban women from straddling motorcycles will help address slipping morals, say local Islamic hardlinersWomen in the Indonesian province of Aceh have been outraged by news of a new bylaw set to be introduced in coming months that will effectively ban them from ‘straddling’ a motorcycle. Since being granted regional autonomy in 2005 the Islamic province has been governed by sharia law, and ‘moral police’ have been employed to ban many practices said to be indicative of ‘moral decay’ such as adultery, romantic liaisons between unmarried youngsters, the wearing of tight jeans and gambling.
According to website www.muslimvillage.com, the mayor of Aceh town Lhokseumawe has said that morals are slipping and that he views the straddling of motorcycles by women as ‘impolite’. Local religious leaders have thrown their support behind the bylaw. While the article makes no mention of alternatives, the inference is it’ll be side-saddle only for women on motorcycles in the province, presumably as pillions.
Understandably, the move has triggered an outcry among Aceh’s women, where motorcycles are heavily relied upon for basic transport. According to Andi Yetriyani of Indonesia’s National Commission on Violence Against Women, the bylaw is a major blow for women’s rights in the province.
“Basically this is a discriminatory regulation against women,” Yetriyani said. “It is also undermining the whole movement for advancing human rights in Indonesia.”
Yetriyani said women in Aceh were afraid to speak out against the legislation because to do so could be construed by the authorities as opposing Islam, with potentially dire consequences.
The article states that since sharia law was introduced in Aceh, reports of instances of the abuse of human rights have escalated.
The Indonesian Home Affairs Ministry has said it will review and potentially repeal the bylaw. While it has blocked over 2000 local laws across Indonesia before, this would mark the first time it would have blocked sharia bylaw in Aceh and critics say the Indonesian government is reticent to condemn hardline Islamic views.
The article also points out that Aceh is the only Indonesian province governed by sharia law, and that the majority of the nation’s 242 million people hold moderate Islamic views.
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