Teuku Dani Ramadhan, Zahara Sulaiman & Ade Mardiyati

Women are revamping their wardrobes in West Aceh to conform to the new Shariah regulation. (Photo: JG)

Dressing to Impress Aceh's Shariah Police

In Pasar Rakyat, a market in Meulaboh in Indonesia's West Aceh, a young woman busily browses through a rack of skirts. She is wearing a loose, long skirt, a tight, long-sleeved T-shirt and a jilbab that comes up to her chest. She analyzes the material of the skirts, touching them to feel the texture.

“I have to replace my clothes with skirts and Muslim outfits [that are long-sleeved and loose],” 20-year-old Rahma said last Tuesday. “I don’t want to be arrested by the Wilayatul Hisbah [Shariah police] when they really implement the new law.”

The district of West Aceh will begin enforcing a new regulation in January that will strictly forbid Muslims, especially women, to wear tight clothes. M Nur Juned, head of West Aceh district’s Shariah division, said in a telephone interview with the Jakarta Globe on Thursday that authorities would regulate the clothes that people were allowed to wear.

“For women, the clothes should not be skintight, see-through, show the contours of their bodies or be boyish. The jilbab should be long so it can cover their chest,” he said. “Women can still wear trousers as long as they are not tight.

“As for men, they can’t wear shorts when they are out in public. And they can’t dress up like a woman, either. Allah hates such a thing.”

Juned said that in 2008, the West Aceh government had advised Muslims in the area regarding their manner of dressing.

“We [the district-level office] circulated letters to subdistrict offices on how people should dress. But since this was only an appeal and there were no sanctions, people didn’t take it seriously,” he said. “We decided to make it more serious by issuing this new regulation.”

He said that those caught breaking the law would be reprimanded and advised on how to dress accordingly. He added that if a person repeated the offense, he or she would be subject to the ta’zir penalty.

The word ta’zir literally means to bring something to a halt. But it can also be translated as “to help, respect or honor.” Under Shariah law, ta’zir is defined as a sentence or punishment given to those charged with assault.

“The kind of punishment [subject to ta’zir] depends on how serious the violation is,” Juned said.

“Punishment can range from the very mild to harsher ones. It could mean being caned once to dozens of times.

“It is the Shariah court that decides [how many times one should be caned] depending on how serious the violation is.”

Juned said that once the new regulation was implemented, the district-level government would strongly recommended that government and private offices refuse services for Muslims who violate the dress code.

“Of course, for the first time, the person [who violates the dress code] should just be reprimanded, not ignored,” he said.

“But the next time they come back and still do not follow the dress code, they should be sanctioned by not being given any service.”

Juned added that officers found assisting those in violation of the dress code would also be sanctioned.

In 2003, Aceh province opened its first Shariah court, which implements laws based on Islamic teachings. These laws cover almost all elements of life in the province, including obligating Muslim women to wear a jilbab.

Under the laws, any Muslim found eating, drinking or selling food during sunlight hours in the fasting month of Ramadan, as with the more serious charge of adultery, could be sentenced to a public caning or fines.

Juned said that West Aceh would be the first district in the country to strictly implement an Islamic dress code.

“Maybe later, when the [Aceh] governor issues the same regulation, then it will be applied in all parts of the province,” he said. “Meanwhile, this will apply to all Muslims in West Aceh, be they residents or visitors to the district.

“For non-Muslims, they are expected to respect us, just like during the Ramadan month, when all Muslims are fasting and non-Muslims should not eat or drink in front of them.”

Ita, a vendor at the Bina Usaha, another market in Meulaboh, said last week that demand for outfits conforming to Muslim standards, especially skirts, had increased sharply. She added that prices had also gone up. A skirt that she used to sell for Rp 30,000 ($3.20) now costs between Rp 60,000 and Rp 100,000.

“It depends on the material,” Ita said. “But I am overwhelmed with such a high demand like this. I have been a vendor for years, but this is definitely the first time this has happened.”

She said that skintight clothes and jeans were the best-selling items before the issuance of the new regulation became the talk of the town.

“Young people loved to follow the trends, imitating what they saw on TV or magazines,” the 40-year-old said. “But now, I don’t display the old stock, as no one seems to be interested anymore.”

Boy, a vendor at a different market in the area, also said that the new regulation had helped lift sales of Muslim outfits, including skirts. “I still find it hard to keep up with demand,” Boy said.

In contrast to West Aceh district, young shoppers continue to indulge their preference for trendy tight jeans and tops in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, where there is no dress code.

“We update our collection, basing it on what we see on TV, the Internet or in magazines,” said Romy, owner of Fashion Gaul, which opened in 2008.

“Young people, especially women, are our biggest clients,” the 30-year-old proprietor said.

Should the North Aceh government implement a regulation that might impact his business, Romy said he would return his current stock to Medan and Jakarta, where he purchased the goods.

“We can exchange them with new collections that support the implementation of the new law,” he said.

Ricky, another vendor in Lhokseumawe, said that selling clothes geared toward young women was a lucrative business in Aceh.

“We make an excellent profit in this business because women love shopping for clothes to follow what is in today,” he said. “They love skintight clothes and jeans.”

Ita, a 23-year-old bank teller in Lhokseumawe, said that she felt comfortable wearing tight jeans and tops, despite Shariah law.

“I don’t think it should be a problem,” she said. “I’m still wearing a headscarf, which is compulsory here.

“I’m not afraid of the Shariah police. I believe that a person should not be judged by what they wear. It is the heart that matters, not a piece of cloth.”

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