35 Women in Aceh Netted for Straddling Motorcycles by Shariah Police

[cali]

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].”

<snip>

“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.”

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/35-women-in-aceh-netted-for-straddling-motorcycles-by-shariah-police/585470

[JimDandy]

1. Just don't honor your women by

letting them sit in at least a slightly safer position on a motorcycle.

So sick of religions that are intent on controlling everyone's lives (that's most of them in the world), including those not of their faith... ugh.

eta: Lots of good points that Jakarta Globe readers are making in the article's comment section opposing these discriminatory edicts! Good on them.

[egduj]

2. Such a lovely culture.

[cali]

6. Actually in many ways the culture of Indonesia is lovely

and Aceh is the only area in Indonesia, I believe, that has Sharia courts.

[babylonsister]

26. It IS lovely for the most part, and

for many places in Indonesia, women are free to ride their own motor scooters, work, dress in western wear, etc. This example is extreme.

[jessie04]

3. So who are are to judge ?

its arrogant to think one culture is superior to another.

[JimDandy]

5. You forgot

the sarcasm thingy, right?

[jessie04]

7. No....not really

You think its ok to think your culture is superior to another?

[The Straight Story]

8. If I didn't think mine was I would live in one I did (nt)

[Quantess]

9. In some cases, yes, I do!

[JimDandy]

10. This has nothing to do with culture...

It has to do with the oppression and subjugation of women in Aceh. When a government or religion violates the human rights of an individual, and discriminates by gender as to whose rights are violated, they have stepped over the line of fairness and justice and should be brought to task.

I am appaled that you are on a democratic site and appear to be not just indifferent to this injustice, but in fact are passing it off as an acceptable cultural more.

It is not acceptable.

[jessie04]

11. I dont think I said that.

As a woman , I think I'm very sensitive to womens rights.

[JimDandy]

13. In reply to cali's OP you said:

Last edited Sun Apr 14, 2013, 04:36 PM - Edit history (2)

"So who are are to judge ? its arrogant to think one culture is superior to another."

Cali posted, without comment, an article in the Jakarta Globe about Sharia police enforcing the Mayor of Aceh's policy regarding women's attire and positioning on motorcycles in Aceh.

It was left for us to discuss and yes, judge, what the effects were of the mayor's policies. In this case, his policies are discriminatory to women.

You jumped onto the thread, stated that cali was judging the culture of Aceh, reached a conclusion that she had judged some (whose?) culture superior to another, and implied that she was arrogant to do so.

Your failure to discuss the fairness of the mayor's discriminatory policies and their enforcement by Sharia police is NOT in any way being sensitive to women's rights. As a woman myself, I am sure of that.

[Throd]

17. Yes, yes I do.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. Those that understand the true nature of civil rights and liberties

don't have that kind of problem.

Are people living in that area as free as those living in others?

You line of reasoning would support FGM...do you really want to go there?

[backscatter712]

25. My culture isn't the one telling women they can't ride a motorcycle...

because they might get air on their vajayjays...

[tabasco]

27. If something's fucked up, it's fucked up.

Just because it's part of a culture doesn't make it not fucked up.

HOPE IT HELPS!

[Donald Ian Rankin]

28. I don't think it's OK not to think that.

If you don't think that e.g. American culture is superior to e.g Saudi culture, you have no right to call yourself a liberal.

[cali]

33. I think it's just fine to think that some things in some cultures are wrong

including my own. Do you think apartheid is wrong? Occupation? but oooh it's part of a culture, can't criticize. bzzzzt. gigantic fail of critical thinking.

[pnwmom]

34. Yes. Communities and/or cultures that overtly oppress women are INFERIOR

to ones that at least aim for equality.

[Threedifferentones]

37. Oh, not this again. Really?

Yes, I think laws that recognize women as human are superior to laws under which they are chattel.

I do not think everything about America is thus somehow superior to everything about Sharia Country X, but I am not going to give sexism and slavery a pass in the name of tolerance or multiculturalism or w/e.

[LadyHawkAZ]

12. Who am I to judge?

This is me:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1018&pid=344432
straddling my bike, in tight pants with my hair uncovered, being all arrogant and stuff. That's who.

“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.”

Sorry, that's going to get a judgment from me every time. Especially when that "Honor" for the delicate creatures involves making them do something totally unsafe like ride sidesaddle on a motorcycle in loose, flowing clothing.

[polly7]

15. Great picture, and what a nice bike!

I was wondering how the heck one could drive a bike sitting sidesaddle, but then I guess these women in Indonesia aren't supposed to actually drive one. D'OH. I don't know much about bikes, we used to take the horses out and just for fun ride them sidesaddle on trail-rides and just messing around. It was so uncomfortable after a while because of the constant tension. I have no idea how women used to do so well on their fox-hunts riding this way ... they were tough, that's for sure. I remember reading of a group of women suffragettes that rode in to vote sidesaddle, and left at a gallop, astride. If these men in Indonesia are concerned about their 'delicate creatures' they need to rethink that as a reason; besides being oppressive of course, it's physically abusive and just dangerous, imho.

[Matariki]

14. Human Rights trumps Cultural Relativism ALWAYS

[JimDandy]

19. Succinctly said! n/t

[backscatter712]

24. Watch me!

Islamic culture is an authoritarian crock of shit.

That's my judgment.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

29. I think you overgeneralise.

There's no such thing as "Islamic culture" singular.

"Most Islamic cultures are authoritarian crocks of shit in many respects", sure, but there are Islamic groups I have no problem with the ethics of.

[Gravitycollapse]

32. I ride motorcycles and can tell you that side-saddle is not safe.

There's a reason why you straddle a motorcycle. That's the optimal position for its safe operation.

When you slam on the brakes you want to be in a position where you can clench the gas tank with your thighs so you don't fly off. You cannot do that if you are sitting side-saddle. Similar physics are at play under hard acceleration.

And let's say you take a hard right turn when you are sitting side-saddle to the left. You're going to fall off.

Have you ever eaten pavement at 50 mph? I have. Needless to say, it should be avoided.

[pnwmom]

35. Do you feel the same way about cultures that allow slavery? n/t

[leftynyc]

36. Take your moral relativsim elsewhere

No - not all cultures are created equal and some of them simply suck in terms of their treatment of women. This is just one city in Indonesia but unequal treatment of women will always get a call out from the honest people here.

[rocktivity]

4. And now for something completely different

An Amish biker chick:



[font color="#ffffff"]_______________________[/font]

[sufrommich]

16. One of the most popular youtube videos

in Saudi Arabia is of a woman (Manal Al-Sharif) driving a car with her face uncovered in protest of Saudi anti women laws. The driving laws are mostly designed to make it hard for women to enter the work force as public transportation is practically nil.Saudi working women pay up to a third of their salaries to male "drivers".Al-Sharif started a protest group called Women2Drive,has received death threats and has been arrested for driving.There's been a lot of Saudi women willing to film themselves driving as a sign of protest and Saudi feminists have circulated a petition to end the anti women driving laws,they now have one of the Saudi Princes speaking out in their favor.

[Hekate]

20. Vroom! Vroom! God forbid delicate women should feel that surge of power...

... in their lady parts. It might upset the delicate balance of male hegemony and stuff.

[cali]

21. ......

[backscatter712]

22. Are they supposed to ride sidesaddle?

Oh, but we must ignore this misogyny, because we must respect Islamic culture.

Religion poisons everything!

[cali]

23. Unitarians are pretty cool.

[Hekate]

30. Indeed they are. Many of the Founders of the US were Unitarians or Universalists

It's pretty august company, even if I am a lapsed UU. (Not sure if you can actually lapse from the UUs!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unitarians,_Universalists,_and_Unitarian_Universalists

[Gravitycollapse]

31. As a feminist and a motorcycle rider, this makes me want to drink battery acid.

Sitting side saddle is a really excellent way to fall off under hard acceleration, abrupt braking, sudden maneuvering or a combination of all of those.

This law is not about protecting women. It puts them at greater danger. It's about fear of the over-sexualized vision of women straddling things.