Indonesia Becomes a Target For "Fascists"

Textbook anti-fascism

Indonesia's province of Aceh has passed a new law making adultery punishable by stoning to death, a member of the province's parliament has said. The law also imposes severe sentences for rape, homosexuality, alcohol consumption and gambling.

The basis for stoning to death in Islamic countries is Muhammad's own example. On one occasion he encountered a group of Jews in Medina who had arrested an adulterous couple. The Prophet of Islam asked them what the prescribed punishment was for adultery in the Torah. They tried to dissemble, claiming that the Torah prescribed only lashes, an indication that the Jews of Muhammad's day no longer took the judicial proscriptions of Mosaic law literally – and indeed, Islam is the only religion which has continued to practise this punishment for thousands of years. One of Muhammad's followers challenged them on this, so one of the Jews began to read from the Torah, but he deliberately covered the part about stoning with his hand. On exposing this deception, Muhammad said, “Woe to you Jews! What has induced you to abandon the judgement of God which you hold in your hands?” Then he had the couple stoned to death (Bukhari v.4, b.61, no.3635; see also Ibn Ishaq). On another occasion, a woman came to him and admitted that she had committed adultery, and asked for his forgiveness. He forgave her – and then had her stoned to death. (Muslim b.17, no.4206)

Muhammad's example, or Sunnah, is a major criterion for determining right and wrong in Islam. For this reason, stoning is considered a legitimate method of punishment under Islamic law to this day, even though it isn't actually mentioned in the Qur'an.

Anyway, the BBC article says that "[t]he governor of Aceh, a former rebel with the Free Aceh Movement, is opposed to strict Sharia law. He had urged more debate over the bill."

Which means, if you believe John Denham, that he must be a fascist.