Hundreds of people gathered outside a mosque in Indonesia to see a woman scream out in agony after being caned as a punishment for being in ‘close proximity’ to a man she wasn’t married to.
Nur Elita was marched to the yard of Baiturrahumim Mosque in Banda Aceh for violating the region’s strict Sharia laws, after she allegedly showed affectionate behaviour to a fellow university student.
Under the law men and women, who are not spouses, are not allowed to get too close due to the the ‘khalwat’ offence and punishment is by public caning.
After being brought to the stage as the crowd cheered, the woman was forced to kneel down while a masked man repeatedly whipped her with the cane.
She received five lashes and at the end of the punishment could be seen lying on the floor doubled over in pain.
Eventually she was carried off the stage, into an ambulance, and had to be taken to hospital.
Also being caned was the man she was accused of getting too close to and he was forced to stand while being whipped.
Meanwhile four other men were also forced to endure the punishment for gambling, which is also outlawed under Sharia law.
According to the Jakarta Post, the caning ceremony was carried out in front of the deputy mayor of Banda Aceh Zainal Arifin.
And before the ceremony he warned the crowd that had gathered that the caning were a lesson to everyone.
He said: ‘Take these punishments as a lesson. What has been done by these convicts should not be taken as example.
‘And I hope their caning today will be the last ever.’
Banda Aceh is the only province in Indonesia to implement Sharia Law, which was first introduced in 2003 following the province’s awarding of special autonomy status.
Sharia Law
Sharia law is the legal system of Islam which is derived from both the Koran and the rulings of the religion’s scholars.
It acts as a code that all Muslims are adhered to live to and include rules of prayers, fasting and donations to the poor and covers both public and private behaviour. O
ffences are divided into two categories – hadd offences, which a serious crimes with set penalties and tazir crimes, where punishment is left to the the discretion of a judge.
Hadd offences include theft, which is punishable by the amputation of the offender’s hand and adultery, which can result in being stoned to death.
Apostasy, or leaving the faith, is also against Sharia law and can also be punishable by death. Other offences against Sharia law include denying Mohammed, gambling, drinking alcohol and women talking to a man, who is not her husband or relative. –
By: Dailymail.co.uk
