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19 Mar 2015

Indonesian clerics decree death penalty for gay sex

The Indonesian Ulema Council said its fatwa was required due to an increase in reports of deviant behavior and because homosexuality is a serious disease.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) that met earlier this month said its fatwa was required due to an increase in "reports of deviant behavior."
“It doesn’t matter that they love each other,” Hasanuddin A.F., head of the MUI’s fatwa commission, said while announcing the anti-LGBT edict, reported The Jakarta Globe. “In Islamic law, it’s a sexual act that must be heavily punished. It would be bad if the government allows same-sex marriage.”
The proposed punishments range from caning to the death penalty for those in same-sex relations. “It also claims that homosexuality is a serious disease, but that like most other illnesses, it can be cured,” the newspaper said.
Hasanuddin pointed out that "Sodomy, homosexuals, gays and lesbians in Islamic law are forbidden and [it] is a vile act that is punishable by the death penalty."
The March 4 fatwa issued by the MUI is not legally binding because even though Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country it has never been an Islamic state. But prejudices against the LGBT community are largely formed by Islam, whose followers make up about 90 percent of its 250 million people.
While Detik News reported that the fatwa was issued as a means of "reminding the public" that homosexuality is a "deviant" behavior that creates a "stain on the dignity of Indonesia," The Jakarta Globe quoted LGBT activist Hartoyo as saying that such an edict was the same as promoting hatred and motivating people to carry out violence against others.
"If the MUI dislikes homosexuals, it should express its disapproval through other means, in educated and peaceful ways. It shouldn’t shroud its message with hate and violence," Hartoyo said.
Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, described the MUI’s fatwa as regrettable and that the council has long tried to exceed its actual authority, according to The Jakarta Globe.
 “It isn’t the duty of MUI to determine national law. The MUI is supposed to educate Indonesia’s Muslims. Proposing severe punishment [such as death] shows the MUI’s less-than-mature mind-set,” he was quoted as saying.
Human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis was also quoted by The Jakarta Globe as saying that the MUI should get past the fact that homosexuality exists in Indonesia.
“Human rights don’t differ among people, whatever their sexual orientation,” he said adding that “The government mustn’t play favorites in protecting its citizens.”
However, The Independent newspaper pointed out that, “The propagation of intolerance is seen as particularly dangerous in this instance, given the MUI's influential position.”
Even though same-sex relations are not criminalized in Indonesia, some local ordinances portray it as immoral behavior. Last September the country’s utra-conservative Aceh province passed a law to punish same-sex relations with 100 lashes of the cane and in 2004 municipal authorities in South Sumatra outlawed all LGBT-related activity as “prostitution.”

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) that met earlier this month said its fatwa was required due to an increase in "reports of deviant behavior."

“It doesn’t matter that they love each other,” Hasanuddin A.F., head of the MUI’s fatwa commission, said while announcing the anti-LGBT edict, reported The Jakarta Globe. “In Islamic law, it’s a sexual act that must be heavily punished. It would be bad if the government allows same-sex marriage.”

The proposed punishments range from caning to the death penalty for those in same-sex relations. “It also claims that homosexuality is a serious disease, but that like most other illnesses, it can be cured,” the newspaper said.

Hasanuddin pointed out that "Sodomy, homosexuals, gays and lesbians in Islamic law are forbidden and [it] is a vile act that is punishable by the death penalty."

The March 4 fatwa issued by the MUI is not legally binding because even though Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country it has never been an Islamic state. But prejudices against the LGBT community are largely formed by Islam, whose followers make up about 90 percent of its 250 million people.

While Detik News reported that the fatwa was issued as a means of "reminding the public" that homosexuality is a "deviant" behavior that creates a "stain on the dignity of Indonesia," The Jakarta Globe quoted LGBT activist Hartoyo as saying that such an edict was the same as promoting hatred and motivating people to carry out violence against others.

"If the MUI dislikes homosexuals, it should express its disapproval through other means, in educated and peaceful ways. It shouldn’t shroud its message with hate and violence," Hartoyo said.

Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, described the MUI’s fatwa as regrettable and that the council has long tried to exceed its actual authority, according to The Jakarta Globe.

“It isn’t the duty of MUI to determine national law. The MUI is supposed to educate Indonesia’s Muslims. Proposing severe punishment [such as death] shows the MUI’s less-than-mature mind-set,” he was quoted as saying.

Human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis was also quoted by The Jakarta Globe as saying that the MUI should get past the fact that homosexuality exists in Indonesia.

“Human rights don’t differ among people, whatever their sexual orientation,” he said adding that “The government mustn’t play favorites in protecting its citizens.”

However, The Independent newspaper pointed out that, “The propagation of intolerance is seen as particularly dangerous in this instance, given the MUI's influential position.”

Even though same-sex relations are not criminalized in Indonesia, some local ordinances portray it as immoral behavior. Last September the country’s utra-conservative Aceh province passed a law to punish same-sex relations with 100 lashes of the cane and in 2004 municipal authorities in South Sumatra outlawed all LGBT-related activity as “prostitution.”

Reader's Comments

1. 2015-03-19 23:37  
Most religions are simply capitalist businesses. The goal is to make a nice living for the clerics. To this end, they need to grow the business. This entails promoting childbirth and indoctrinating children.

Any LGBT tendencies go against these capitalist goals, hence their ban.
2. 2015-03-20 08:38  
I wish hatred and bigotry could be put down to profit, but I fear it has much deeper roots that are very hard to remove. Still if we all pick up a shovel one day I hope it will go away.
3. 2015-03-20 09:18  
I know this is academic, but the Council of Muslim Scholars can only issue a fatwa (opinion), which is not legally binding nationally. The Council was a creation of the authoritarian Soeharto regime, aimed at bribing clerics so they do not criticize the regime. Of course such an opinion is another instance of homophobia and transphobia to those already existing in Indonesian society. On the other hand, even practicing Muslims do not take the Council's fatwas seriously. National networks of LGBTI organizations are working on a statement and on lobbying the Council, for what it's worth, together with the National Commission on Violence Against Women.
4. 2015-03-20 23:34  
The MUI is a stain on the dignity of Indonesia.
5. 2015-03-23 15:55  
Murder is a bit deviant innit
6. 2015-03-24 21:08  
OK, Boycott Indonesia: stop all incoming/outgoing trade with them until they get on board with the United Nations which is: Same Sex relationships are an acceptable natural behavior and the LGBTI community will be treated with dignity and equal rights or Indonesia's little part of the world with become an economic nightmare.

When this happens, the intelligent people in Indonesia that desire a better life with raise up and dump these stupid morons and get their country on track with the majority of the world. Or choose to stay defiant, stupid, continue living in the stone age, and suffer the consequences.
The world is a global community now and these religious influenced countries need to pull their heads out of the sand.

Ban Church from being any part of any governmental connection. PERIOD! Church and state....separated permanently, no exceptions!
7. 2015-03-25 02:09  
These Muslims are at the same stage as the Roman Catholic church with its inquisition - that was 400 years ago!!!

Maybe it will take that amount of time to come kicking and struggling up to date!!
8. 2015-03-31 17:26  
Seems to me that islam is a vile act and a very serious disease.
9. 2015-04-04 19:20  
MUI=. Murderers Using Islam
10. 2015-04-29 18:17  




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