AFP: BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — In Indonesia's only province ruled by strict Islamic law, the sight of the "morals police" prompts women to quickly adjust their headscarves and male and female companions to move apart.
In Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island, it is the job of the 1,000-strong Wilayatul Hisbah, or Islamic police, to enforce sharia laws that mandate public modesty for women, and forbid unmarried couples from socialising.
In the capital Banda Aceh last week, a woman peeled away from her husband, reached for a scarf and quickly wrapped it around her head as a patrol approached; a petrified couple hopped on a motorcycle and fled.
But another pair hiding behind a large rock on the beach were not so lucky.
"Are you married?" roared a burly officer, wearing a khaki uniform and sporting a thick moustache, as he approached the cringing couple who shook their heads.
"This is unacceptable in Aceh, we have sharia laws here. Go along now, go home," he said, after examining their identity cards. » | Arlina Arshad (AFP) | Monday, April 09, 2012
