"Women must be covered from head to toe," an adamant Hadi said while preparing to examine the first violator. "Even the palm of their hand should not been seen. They can't wear clothing that is tight or show the curve of the body."
"When we find someone who has broken this law, we will issue a warning and instruct them on how to dress better in the future," he added.
Violators are given three warnings. The fourth infraction lands the perpetrator behind bars.
"And it's not just dress code violations," Rhamat Nasoori said. Nosoori is in charge of the prison back at the police station. "If we catch you drinking alcohol, committing adultery, or other vices, you'll end up in here, too."
Failure to abide by the strict dress code of Islamic law - as interpreted by these Islamic police - can lead to heavy-handed treatment. From Indonesia to distribute 20,000 long skirts and confiscate jeans in Muslim modesty drive, dated May 27, 2010:
During raids on Thursday, when the new law came into effect, Islamic police caught 18 women travelling on motorbikes who were wearing traditional headscarves but were also dressed in jeans. Each woman was given a long skirt and her trousers were confiscated. The women were released from police custody after giving their identities and receiving advice from Islamic preachers.
I'm sorry, that was very intolerant of me. The comment that should have accompanied that excerpt is this: "Islamic police charity distributes free skirts to women who have been oppressed by Western fashion."
"I am not wearing sexy outfits, but they caught me like a terrorist only because of my jeans," said Imma, a 40-year-old housewife who uses only one name. She said that wearing jeans is more comfortable when she travels by motorbike.
Motorbikes are commonly used by both men and women in Indonesia.
"The rule applies only to Muslim residents in West Aceh," Ramli Mansur, head of West Aceh district, told The Associated Press. "We don't enforce it for non-Muslims, but are asking them to respect us."
They're not enforcing it on infidels yet - but they will.
He said any shopkeepers caught violating restrictions on selling short skirts and jeans would face a revocation of their business licenses.
The regulation is the latest effort to promote strict moral values in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, where most of the roughly 200 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith.
It does not set out a specific punishment for violators, but says "moral sanctions" will be imposed by local leaders.
That means there is no limit on what they guys can do once they feel their power and see that they can get away with it.
Rights groups say the regulation violates international treaties and the Indonesian constitution.
Well, maybe President O will obey the Indonesion consitution. He certainly doesn't obey ours!
More information can be found at Jihad Watch: Indonesia: Islamic police to carry skirts, force women in violation of Muslim dress codes to wear them, May 25, 2010.
We next consider excerpts from In Aceh Indonesia, Islamic police take to the streets, from February 19, 2010 (I also reproduced the links):
Islamic law makes inroads
The province, on the western tip of Sumatra island, home to about 4 million people, won the right to implement Islamic law in 2001, after being granted semi-autonomy as part of efforts to end a decades-long separatist war. Sharia has been enforced with increasing vigor since the 2004 Asian tsunami, which many people interpreted as a divine warning, and last September the provincial parliament approved a new penalty for adulterers: stoning to death.
Aceh is not alone. Across Indonesia, dozens of local governments – given wide scope to enact their own laws under a decentralized system – have adopted Islamic regulations on dress and behavior. In parts of Central Java and South Sulawesi provinces, female civil servants are now obliged to wear headscarves or risk losing their jobs.
While the trend threatens to undermine Indonesia's reputation for having a relaxed approach to Islam, it does not appear to have wide support. At national elections last year, the share of the vote won by Islamic parties plummeted.
In Aceh, many people say they abhor the stoning penalty – yet to be signed into law – although few will criticize it publicly for fear of being branded bad Muslims. But enforcers of a stricter approach to Islam appear to be gathering momentum. Public canings have been carried out, and earlier this month women were banned from wearing tight trousers in one district of Aceh.
In his dilapidated office in Banda Aceh, Iskandar applauds the crackdown. "In our religion, it's forbidden to wear tight clothes, because they can show the body shape and arouse men's desire," he says. "It's all about protecting women and increasing respect for them."
It's kind of like our government does - pass strict laws taking away our freedom of choice to protect us.
This is nothing new to Islamic countries. We review excerpts from Crackdown in Iran over dress codes, dated April 27, 2007:
Police cars are stationed outside major shopping centres in Tehran.
They are stopping pedestrians and even cars - warning female drivers not to show any hair - and impounding the vehicles and arresting the women if they argue back.
Middle-aged women, foreign tourists and journalists have all been harassed, not just the young and fashionably dressed.
Individual choice
Overnight the standard of what is acceptable dress has slipped back.
Hard-won freedoms - like the right to wear a colourful headscarf - have been snatched away.
"If we want to do something we will do it anyway, all this is total nonsense," says a young girl, heavily made up and dressed up.
She believes Islamic dress should be something personal - whether you're swathed in a black chador or dressed in what she calls "more normal clothes".
Interestingly many women who choose to wear the all enveloping chador agree - saying it's a personal choice and shouldn't be forced on people.
Boutique owners are furious. Some shops have been sealed - others warned not to sell tight revealing clothing.
One shopkeeper selling evening dresses told us the moral police had ordered him to saw off the breasts of his mannequins because they were too revealing.
He said he wasn't the only shop to receive this strange instruction.
The Religion of Peace, progressively protecting women's rights - and coming soon, to a country near you!
how moral of them...what a bunch of barbarians!..great piece my friend.hang tough!
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