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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesia Looks At Kissing Ban |
| 2004-03-10 |
| JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Kissing in public and erotic dancing could become a crime punishable by five years in jail as part of a proposed clampdown on morality in Indonesia, the worldâs most populous Muslim nation, according to media reports on Tuesday. In a related development, authorities on the countryâs Batam island said they planned to raid houses looking for cohabiting couples and make them get married, the reports said. The moves reflect the growing influence of religion in the secular country and will likely please Muslim clerics, who have argued that Islamic values should be better reflected in the nationâs laws. A proposed bill before parliament would ban kissing on the lips and making love in public places. Erotic dancing, public exposure of private body parts and "performing in, organizing or watching sex shows" would also become crimes, said Aisyah Hamid Baidlawi, who heads a house committee on pornography. "The bill aims to protect people from exploitation and promote morality and ethics," he said Tuesday. The proposal has been discussed since 2001 and nothing has come of it so far. Baidlawi declined to predict when or whether he thought it would become law. In Batam, authorities plan to start raiding neighborhoods on March 16 looking for unwed couples, Azwan, a local government official on the island, told The Jakarta Post newspaper. He said those caught would face a fine of up to $600 and be required to get married. "Our country has eastern values that are high in moral standards, not like western countries, which consent to such practices," said Azwan, who was identified by a single name. About 80 percent of Indonesiaâs 210 million people are Muslims. In recent years, there have been numerous calls for the adoption of Islamic sharia law. But those bills have never made it through the legislature. Batam is home to a thriving sex trade that attracts prostitutes from all over Indonesia. Most of the customers are men from Singapore, which is a short ferry ride away. |
| Posted by:Lil Dhimmi |
| #2 Even with the additional information regarding Batam island, I still maintain what I previously ranted on this topic. Also (regarding the kissing/porn stuff), this is just a proposed law and, as this article notes, previous "calls for the adoption of Islamic sharia law . . . have never made it through the legislature." The issue of Batam island is different and goes directly to the problems of sexual exploitation by foreigners of impoverished regions. Please note: the solution being proposed is not death or jail time for anyone, just government recognition that two people elected to become conjoined, and government enforcement of what that kind of social contract regularly entails. Please also note: I donât see the Indonesians accepting the sharia concept of âmarriage for a day.â If actually implemented, I bet Batam gets a lot less visitors from Singapore . . . |
| Posted by: cingold 2004-3-10 4:49:41 PM |
| #1 Looks like I'll cancel the honeymoon in Bali... |
| Posted by: mjh 2004-3-10 4:34:03 PM |