JAKARTA (JP): Authorities in the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, where syariah (Islamic law) was introduced as a concession to curb separatist sentiment, initiated on Friday the enforcement of an Islamic dress code for Muslims in towns and cities, a report said.
The official announcement for the Islamic dress code was made by the provincial Governor Abdullah Puteh in a ceremony, marking the Islamic New Year at the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, SCTV television reported.
Islam requires the females to cover everything except their face, hands and feet, while Muslim males must cover their midriff and wear pants or other clothing that covers their knees.
Officials said the police would conduct random street checks but initially violators would just be warned and excluded from urban areas. Future sanctions will be decided in talks between the syariah office, the Muslim Scholars' Council and localpolice, they said.
"The regulation will be initially imposed at all government offices and institutions in the province," an official said.
The central government in 1999 authorized the provincial authorities to implement partial syariah. Last year, the House of Representatives (DPR) also passed a law that grants theprovince greater autonomy and a much larger share of oil and gas revenues.
Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population, but Islam is not the official religion and syariah is not officially in force anywhere else in the nation.