Aceh, the rebel province in the far north of Indonesia, that was badly hit by the 2004 tsunami, is considering the introduction of amputation, as a penalty against theft. Ow!
Sharia Law, the traditional Islamic set of rules and regulations, contains no ambiguity. It also doesn’t contain much tolerance, and for less fortunate, under educated people who are desperate, could be a hard deal. Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
This sounds extreme, but in the west we also have some extreme laws. In California you are allowed to use lethal force, when confronted by an intruder in your house, if they are facing you. In Texas you are allowed to use lethal force, to defend your property (house, car, lawnmower), during the hours of darkness, no matter where they’re facing (been on the books since the 1800′s).
If the proposed new law in Aceh does pass, it will be interesting to see how they apply it to foreingers.
