Sharia Law in Aceh has Failed Prospering Women, Is That True?

News:

Hidayatullah.com and the Citizen Daily reported a controversial statement from Raihan Diani – an activist and former chairwoman of the Democratic Aceh Women Organization (ORPAD) in a discussion in Jakarta, January 16. Diani accused the enforced Sharia law in Aceh often resulted in discrimination against Acehnese women. This accusation was conveyed in a discussion forum entitled “Sharia and Women Prosperity in Aceh” which took place in Bakoel Café, Cikini Jakarta. Diani also stressed that “Aceh Sharia law is not prospering Aceh people, many people traps in vigilantism in the name of Sharia”. In December 2014, BNP2TKI – a national workforce’s agency indeed recorded high rates of poverty in Aceh approximately 17 per cent, above the average national rate of 11 percent. The number of unemployed in August 2014 amounted to 191 thousand, an increase of about 44 thousand people compared to the state in February 2014.

Comment:

Raihan Diani may not understand or pretending not understands that the implementation of Sharia in Aceh is not an ideal application. It was born as a pragmatic political compromise between the secular regime Indonesia and Aceh Independent Movement (GAM) as local political entity; they both agreed to dwarf Islamic Sharia partially and locally in Aceh. Secondly, Raihan Diani seems doesn’t have clear understanding on Islamic Sharia, since she put human rights and freedoms as an evaluator on Islamic laws, just exactly like the cynical secularists against Islam to seek sympathy from the West.

Diani and all the women activists who adore human rights and freedom need to know that the root of complications and dilemmas arising from the Sharia implementation in Aceh is PRECISELY originated from the subordination of the Sharia law into the secular laws, such as human rights and democracy. Therefore, Islamic Sharia is dwarfed only to be local and partial, and subjugated to the man-made laws including the Capitalist economic system that continues to fuel poverty and economic inequality within thousands women in Aceh.

The Sharia has been deliberately designed NOT to interfere economic liberalization and foreign investment in Aceh. The Sharia also purposely left implemented by local incompetent regime who always become the butt of foreign media. The Sharia also intentionally left implemented without full education and socialization into Acehnese society so they cannot correct their ruler with regards the ideal implementation. The Sharia also dwarfed only in criminal aspect with poor political vision – which caused injustice complications in the society. Ironic! The failure of Sharia partial application in Aceh has become an easy target for the enemies of Islam. Sort provides endless ammunition for them to point the finger at Islam as it’s unable to solve various problems.

The Islamic system can only be assessed objectively if in fully and holistically implemented, because the application of Islamic law partially, will not solve the overall problems. The history of Aceh alone has spoken. The land of Aceh and throughout the Archipelago, Islamic Sharia has once implemented comprehensively for nearly 10 centuries under the Islamic Caliphate – with no subordination by foreign powers and man-made laws as in the case today. The women of Aceh had experienced for many centuries how Islamic law dignified them, raised their public roles, and secured their honors. Therefore, great names of Aceh Muslim Women like Laksamana Hayati and Cut Nyak Dien were only few examples of the many Muslim woman figures that had major roles in the community, absolutely away from the image of being unfettered and discriminated as often narrated by the Western media. In the Islamic era, it’s also barely audible about the practice of exploitation or forced labor of women. In stark contrast with nowadays where millions of women who are deprived of their economic rights due to mass impoverishment done by the secular capitalist economic system, including Aceh women.

The political vision of Islam consists of a single leadership for Muslims around the world namely the Khilafah Islamiyah, which will establish a sincere Khaleefah who will lift their economic burdens from their backs and place it upon his shoulders. The Islamic Khilafah system alone offers sound economic policies that have stood the test of time and are able to lift the women in the Muslim world from the pain of poverty and create sustainable economic welfare, hence removing their suffering and bringing real change to their lives. This political vision will not be real when the application of Sharia is only partially, locally and gradually performed as Sharia local regulations in Aceh, Brunei, or Saudi Arabia. Besides that, it should be understood that taking a part of Islamic law and abandoning the rest is a great sin. Allah (swt) says:

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍۢ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌۭ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

“Then is it only a part of the scripture that you believe in, and reject the other? What then is the reward of him who does this among you except disgrace in the life of this world? And on the day of the Awakening they will be sent back to the most severe chastisement. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.” [Al Baqarah: 85]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Fika Komara
Member of the Central Media Office Hizb ut Tahrir