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Indonesia's VP Calls For Islamic Law
Vice President Hamzah Haz says the constitution must be amended so that all Indonesian Muslims will be required to follow Islamic law. Haz, who was speaking on Sunday in his capacity as chairman of the Islam-based United Development Party (PPP), said his party would strive to have the amendment approved when the nationâs top legislative body, the Peopleâs Consultative Assembly (MPR), convenes next week. "For PPP, Islamic law should be echoed," he told reporters after attending the closing ceremony of a national congress held by the nationâs largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Haz is one of Indonesia's bad guys. He's got a liking for the jihadi set, hasn't passed up an opportunity to support them that I've seen, and now he's determined to make sure that everybody else in the country is as devout as he is. PPP and another Islamic party, the Crescent Star Party (PBB), have long been campaigning for the so-called Jakarta Charter â a rejected addition to the preamble of the 1945 Constitution â that requires all Muslims to abide by shariah Islamic law. Efforts by PPP and PBB to revive the charter at the MPR in 2000 failed and are unlikely to succeed this year, due to opposition from moderates, nationalists and the military. In other words, most everyone but the jihadi set... Haz said PPP would do its best to fight for the revival of the Jakarta Charter at the upcoming MPR annual session, which commences on August 1. But NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi said he opposed any efforts to force Muslims to follow Islamic law and urged NU members in the MPR to do their best to prevent the charter from being revised. Although Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, most people are moderates and often fuse Islam with traditional spiritual beliefs. If they're under shariah, the fundos can cut their heads off if they want to fuse their traditional beliefs with, say, Lutheranism, instead. Islam is a door that only swings one way: you can get in, but you can't get out. Maybe that's why they're so fond of exploding... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-07-29 |
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