Fanatics tend to use their beliefs as grounds for their own selfish goals, that's what I thought when I read on The Jakarta Post about two Syaria Police (Religious Police) officers in Aceh, who were arrested for raping their detainee.
Sharia police arrested for ‘rape’
Hotli Simanjuntak , The Jakarta Post , Banda Aceh, Aceh | Tue, 01/12/2010 11:12 PM | National
A serious blow to the credibility and morality of Sharia police in Aceh province, has occurred after several members were detained for an alleged gang rape in Langsa regency.
Police in the regency said Tuesday they had arrested two Sharia police officers, or Wilayatul Hisbah, for reportedly raping a female detainee at the Langsa Sharia Police Station.
The Langsa Police are also hunting down another suspect who is currently on the run.
Langsa Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yosi Muhammartha said the three suspects were accused of jointly raping a university student when she was held in a cell at the station.
The woman was gang-raped by the three Sharia policeman during her interrogation, he added.
Yosi said the issue began when Sharia police officers were conducting patrol on the night of Jan. 8, and found a couple on the side of the PTPN-1 Langsa ring road.
The police brought the pair to the Sharia police office in Langsa. The suspects then questioned the couple in relation to violating the 2003 Sharia Public Indecency Bylaw.
8 comments:
I hate these cases, it's one of the most disgusting ones.
Obcessedwithanimals,
Yes, it's disgusting.
Thank you for your visit & comment
Harry...
Every organization has bad apples that taint the whole. But, the reality is that not all is bad because of the odd few.
The Indonesian courts and the court / judicial mafia are [in]famous not only in Indonesia but around the world. However, I would argue that not all Indonesians that work in the judicial system are rotten.
Similarly for the DPR and big businesses.
Yes, when people do things wrong then questions are asked and answers sort. Sometimes, though it is perhaps as simple as the men alleged to have gang raped this young woman are bad men. The other questions that needs to be asked are:
1. Are they representative of Islam?
2. Are they representative of the majority of the Sharia police in Aceh?
3. Was this a crime they committed because they thought that their religion and position permitted it?
Rape is a heinous crime. These individuals who call themselves men must be tried, and if found guilty, punished to the full extent that the law permits.
If the head of the Sharia police is embarrassed that this crime taints the organization as a whole then the best way to go about restoring public confidence in the Sharia police is to be proactive in the arrest, interrogation, and assist fully in the prosecution of these individuals.
If the community can see that the law applies equally to all no matter what your position is then this crime will be seen as an aberration and not the norm for Sharia police.
BTW...this is not a defense of either the Sharia police or the law that they seek to enforce. It is a mere reflection of the realities of life. If the citizens of Aceh have spoken and chosen Sharia law and the Sharia police as part of the enforcement regime, then my comments go part way towards how to make the system work.
Rob,
Thank you for your comment.
What I am trying to say is that fanaticism can make people abuse the power they have based on their belief.
As an example I choose the gang rape by the Syaria Police in Aceh.
As a province of Indonesia, Aceh is no different from other provinces, only the names are different and strictly based on religious law (= fanaticism).
The Syaria Police is like the regional government police: Polisi Pamong Praja (PP)whose authority is limited to implement provincial regulation (Perda).
Only the name is different, in Aceh PP is called Syaria Police and the Perda is called Syaria Law.
Although the 3 rapers cannot be regarded as representing the whole Syaria Police, but it makes people realize that they are all just no different from the regular police.
But by calling them Syaria Police it's like claiming that they are holier than the other.
It is difficult to say whether the people in Aceh has chosen Syaria Law, because no referendum has been made to ask about this matter.
The best way is that the Syaria Police let the regular police conduct an open investigation on this case, prosecution in court and punish the rapers is they are proven guilty.
All kinds of abuse of power occur in all parts of the world. More power, more absence of checks cause tghem to be more likely.
Give a lot of unchecked power to poorly educated men in uniform who have been appointed as official peeping johns, and rape becomes a likely crime.
Colson,
Thank you for your comment.
You are right that the main cause is the fact that they are poorly checked and educated.
Hi Harry,
This is totally unbelievable & unimaginable.
The poor girl would have to undergo this painful memories as stigma for the rest of her life. All because these men wanted a few moments of pleasure. They have robbed her modesty. Something which they cannot return for the rest of their lives.
Imagine the pain the girl's loved ones would also have to undergo. Something which they cannot undo. It is not like computers which has an undo button to correct an error.
In life, such button does not exist.
Quite sad to hear incidents like this.
Mystique Earth,
Yes it is very sad that people who claimed that they are defenders of religion could ever violate the religion. A tragedy not only for the girl but also for the religion.
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