Shari'ah Spreads
Islamic laws creep into half of Indonesia's provinces.
Compass Direct News | posted 3/11/2009 08:50AM

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"This law will only empower vigilante groups like the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI)," Eva Sundari, a member of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), told reporters. FPI is widely regarded as a self-appointed moral vigilante group, often raiding bars and nightclubs, but also responsible for multiple attacks on churches.
"Many of the members are preparing for elections and looking for support among the Islamic community," she added. "Now they can point to this law as evidence that they support Islamic values."
Shari'ah-based laws may become an even hotter election issue this year, as a change to the voting system means more weight will be given to provincial candidates.
Political analysts believe President Yudhoyono must form a coalition with most if not all of the country's Islamic parties in order to win reelection against the Golkar Party, allied with former president Megawati Sukarnoputri's PDIP. Such a coalition would likely come with strings attached. As Elizabeth Kendal of the World Evangelical Alliance observed, "The more the president needs the Islamists, the more they can demand of him."
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