Aceh

December 2020

News
CNN Indonesia – December 5, 2020

Banda Aceh – the Aceh Ulema Consultative Council (MPU) – an assembly of religious leaders in Aceh – have issued a sticker prohibiting people from playing online gambling and the game Player Unknown's Battle Grounds (PUBG). The stickers will be put up on all coffee shops (warkop) and cafes in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

November 2020

News
CNN Indonesia – November 14, 2020

Banda Aceh – Residents of Kuta Alam in the Acehnese provincial capital of Aceh have caught a gay couple having same-sex relations at a boarding house. The possible existence of a wider gay community is also being investigated.

July 2020

News
KBR – July 23, 2020

Alfath Asmunda, Banda Aceh – A series of cases of sexual violence against children has taken place in Aceh. Last week for example, two infants in Greater Aceh became victims of sexual violence committed by their uncle with the initials YL (49).

News
Kompas.com – July 7, 2020

Raja Umar, Banda Aceh – Pictures of a group of women cyclists wearing tight clothing and no headscarfs riding around the Acehnese provincial capital of Banda Aceh has gone viral on social media.

The photos and videos of the women wearing sexy pink tops invited criticism from netizens.

February 2020

News
CNN Indonesia – February 20, 2020

Aceh – Units from the Aceh Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and the Wilayatul Hisbah Islamic police (WH) conducted checks on female drivers wearing tight clothing and men wearing short trousers.

The checks netted scores of violators with one of the women wearing a flannel shirt and long trousers.

News
CNN Indonesia – February 12, 2020

Banda Aceh – Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman has banned residents from celebrating Valentine’s Day or the day of love on February 14.

News
CNN Indonesia – February 9, 2020

Aceh Besar – The Greater Aceh regency government in Aceh province has again banned people from celebrating Valentine’s Day because it is deemed to conflict with Syariat Islam (Islamic law).

January 2020

News
Kompas.com – January 23, 2020

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) Chairperson Afridal Darmi says that responsibility for resolving human rights (HAM) violations during the armed conflict in Aceh is a national issue.

News
Kompas.com – January 11, 2020

Masriadi, Lhokseumawe – Lhokseumawe Mayor Suaidi Yahyais has asked to all cafe, restaurant, hotel and internet cafe owners in the city to limit working hours for women employees to 11 o’clock at night.

News
Detik News – January 7, 2020

Agus Setyadi, Banda Aceh – Aceh’s religious leaders (ulama) believe that there is no need to build cinemas in Tanah Rencong – as Aceh is known – and that cinemas are not something which have any benefit.

July 2019

News
Serambi News – July 28, 2019

Saiful Bahri I, Lhokseumawe – Female religious pupils (santriwati) from the An Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Lhokseumawe, northern Aceh, are now required to wear the cadar (full length Islamic veil) in and around their new pesantren.

News
Merdeka – July 11, 2019

Afif – The North Aceh regency government has banned women and under age children from going out at night or roaming the streets during school hours without being accompanied by a mahram (husband or male family member) or their parents.

News
CNN Indonesia – July 8, 2019

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) says that the Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRA) does not need to issue a regional regulation (qanun) on polygamy. Despite the current discourse on polygamy in Aceh the matter is clearly regulated under Law Number 1/1974 on Marriage.

News
Detik News – July 8, 2019

Jakarta – The draft Aceh qanun (bylaw) legalising polygamy has attracted support and opposition. Some believe that the qanun needs to be supported providing that it includes stipulations on the husband behaving fairly towards his wives.

News
Detik News – July 8, 2019

Agus Setyadi, Banda Aceh – A Base Jam concert on the closing night of the 2019 Aceh Culinary Festival (ACF) has been closed down by a hardline Islamic group. The band, which gained fame through hit songs such as Not Pujangga, decided to leave the stage after the third song.

News
CNN Indonesia – July 6, 2019

Jakarta – The Acehnese Regional House of Representatives (DPRA) is justifying a plan by the Aceh government to legalise polygamy on the grounds that it will save women and children who have fallen victim to nikah siri (common law marriage recognised by Islam).

News
Viva – July 5, 2019

A number of Islamic and youth organisations in the Acehnese city of Lhokseumawe have objected to the national-level U-17 Women’s Soccer Tournament being held in Lhokseumawe because they believe the event is contrary to syariat Islam (Islamic law) in Aceh.

News
Kompas.com – July 4, 2019

Masriadi, Lhokseumawe – The Ulama (Islamic clerics) Communication Forum and other youth organisations have objected to the national-level U-17 Women’s Soccer Tournament being held at the Perta Arun Gas Stadium in the Acehnese city of Lhokseumawe in July and September.

May 2019

News
CNN Indonesia – May 3, 2019

Jakarta – The mayor of the Acehnese provincial capital Banda Aceh, Aminullah Usman, has prohibited coffee shops from serving customers during shalat tarawih (evening prayers) during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

News
Kumparan – May 1, 2019

Two hundred protesters held an action commemorating May Day 2019 or Labour Day on May 1 which was centred in front of the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. The action also included a motorcycle convoy around the city.