http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/35-women-in-aceh-netted-for-straddling-motorcycles-by-shariah-police/585470
35 Women in Aceh Netted for Straddling Motorcycles by Shariah Police Jakarta Globe | April 13, 2013 The administration of Lhokseumawe city is planning to issue a bylaw to prohibit women sitting astride while riding a motorcycle as part of the implementation of Islamic Shariah law in Aceh. (EPA Photo/Hotli Simanjuntak). Thirty-five women in Aceh’s city of Lhokseumawe have been let off with a warning after the Shariah police caught them straddling a motorcycle and not wearing appropriate Islamic dress. The Shariah police were conducting a raid on the main roads of Lhokseumawe on Friday, to monitor the administration’s bylaw that prohibits female passengers from straddling motorcycles. “The aim of the raid today [Friday] is to uphold and inform people the regulation on straddling motorcycle issued by the mayor,” Irsyadi, the acting chief of the Lhokseumawe Shariah police, told the Atjehpost.com on Friday. “We also warned people who were not dressed up in an Islamic way. With what we did today, people will be more aware [of the regulation].” While the women were not arrested, they were warned to not straddle a motorcycle again and to not wear tight outfits. “As we saw today, many of our people were still straddling motorcycles, probably they don’t understand the regulation, that’s why we informed them,” Irsyadi explained. Lhokseumawe mayor Suadi Yahya explained that the bylaw was expected to discourage women from wearing pants in public. He said that the bylaw was needed because he had seen people’s behavior and morals straying too far from Aceh’s Islamic cultural values. “We want to save women from things that will cause them to violate Shariah law,” he said. “We wish to honor women with this ban, because they are delicate creatures.” [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
