KUALA LUMPUR: A new law planned to go into affect in the near future in Indonesia's Tasikmalaya has sparked a fury of anger and dissent among women in the Southeast Asian country. Activists say the move will show that the country's tolerant history will be under threat from hardliners in the Islamic country. Hardline Islamic leaders, however, say that the law will provide a better society based on Islam and its values. It also comes less than two weeks after American pop star Lady Gaga canceled her Jakarta concert after Islamic clerics in the country accused her of promoting “immorality” and protested against her performing in the country. “I think the scarf law is a sign that things are not going well for the majority of Indonesian women,” university student Laila told Bikyamasr.com via telephone from Jakarta. “We are a tolerant society and these leaders and conservatives who have a loud voice are doing too much harm to our society and showing the world all the wrong sides of Islam.” The city passed the rule in 2009 and is now awaiting the administration's regulations for its enactment. It will require Muslim women, including visitors, to wear headscarves. Other than requiring women to wear headscarves, the bylaw also outlines 15 additional offenses, including corruption, prostitution, adultery, homosexuality, drug use and trafficking, consuming alcohol, looking at pornography, thuggery, promoting cults and abortion. Criticism also came from Syaful Harahap, an NGO activist caring for HIV/AIDS victims. He wondered why abortion was categorized as violence, citing an Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) fatwa allowing abortion for fetuses under 40 days in emergency situations. He said he doubted whether municipal sharia-monitoring personnel could detect that someone was a homosexual or lesbian. “The matter might become complicated if a gay person arrested turns out to be transgendered,” he said. The question many are asking is how much is too much. For Leila and others, Indonesia is an open society where people are able to mingle to and fro without hindrance. “But these new acts are really starting to worry a lot of us and I know here in universities across the country, anger is growing, so I wouldn't be surprised to see large protests,” she added.
