Sharia based law Controversy in Indonesia

On Wednesday, 5^th March I attended a discussion held by ELSAM (The Institute of Policy Research and Advocacy) on a very controversy issue in my point of view.

A research presented by ELSAM team on the enactment and the implementation of local regulation that so called “a sharia based law” such as Perda Anti Maksiat, Perda Kesusilaan, Perda Pengelolaan Zakat, Perda Busana Muslim.

Well, on the discussion, I impress on the effort done by the research team to evaluate whether such local regulation has any indication on violation the national law and/or human rights principles?

The regulation made by some district and/or province mainly intervene the individual affairs and has many weakness on the content of law and mostly contrary to the National Law and would jeopardizing the legal certainty on the implementation

I must say, in some certain degree, sharia based law needed by Moslem community in Indonesia but it should be regulating public affairs not individual affairs. Such as: how to have Halal and Non Halal Certification in Restaurant. I think it is important to protect the interest of the Moslem community to have and easy to access Halal food and also to decide on their free will when they see the sign Non Halal Certificate and still insist to get in.

Nowadays, it is hard for me to make sure whether the restaurant really only provide halal food or non halal food? Because there are no halal certification and sometimes it only written halals sign.

But I completely disagree and against any “religion based law” being enacted if such regulation only regulating the individual affairs. How about you?