Indonesian Professor Warns Against Attempts To ‘Make West Sumatra Implement Sharia’ Law

In an event last week organized by the Ugla Mentawai Simariuriu Foundation, in collaboration with IMMJ and several alliances of Mentawai Youth/Student Organizations, respected professor Ade Armando from the University of Indonesia warns that there could be hidden motives behind the proposition to turn West Sumatra Province into the Special Region of Minangkabau.

In his webinar titled, "Discourse of MINANGKABAU SPECIAL REGIONS, Threats or Blessings?" Professor Armando laid his suspicion on the proposed separation and autonomy of a new province in West Sumatra. He thinks that those advocating for it are "from the radical Islamic circles...who want to make West Sumatra like Aceh, an autonomous region that implements Sharia law," the International Christian Concern reported.

The professor argued that these radical Islamists are following a narrative that will subject Minangkabau ethnicity under the Sharia law according to what they believe from the Book of Allah, hence the proposed name, "Special Region of Minangkabau" instead of "Special Region of West Sumatra."

Armando's conjecture isn't groundless as seen in the enforcement of Sharia law in schools in Padang City where teachers obliged their non-Muslim students to wear the hijab. Women in regions under the Islamic law will be vulnerable to such discriminatory regulations and other future policies. He and other speakers from last week's workshop are urging people native to the Sumatra region to oppose the proposition by speaking up and by doing everything they can to stop its implementation.

Juniator Tulius, an anthropologist from Mentawai, also surmises that if given consideration, the proposed MINANGKABAU SPECIAL AREA would discount the principle of a peaceful co-existence among diverse groups. Its regional effect including the future treatment of women and religious minorities could have far-reaching impacts at a national level.

"We remain alert to all developments in the West Sumatra region. A lot of information will appear in the media that we need to monitor to what extent there is an attempt to legalize it as a MINANGKABAU SPECIAL REGION," he said.

Fortunately, the critical discourse analysis on the possible expansion of the Sharia Regional Regulations in West Sumatra concludes that a proposition grant will affect the quality of democracy in West Sumatra.

"For most scholars and experts in Indonesia, the presence of religious-based regional regulations is claimed to be one of the sources of fertilizing the seeds of intolerance at the provincial level. As the second most productive region to produce Sharia regional regulations in Indonesia, the position of the province of West Sumatra is like a fire in the husk which over time will create a greater potential for conflict," the study said.

Religious reasons aside, the threat of terrorism is also felt in the island of Sumatra. ICC reports that from March 19 to March 21, the Densus 88 Anti-terror unit in Indonesia had arrested 18 suspected terrorists in North Sumatra in a silent operation.

The unit seized several items as evidence of their propaganda including 31 charity boxes used in swindling the unsuspecting people to fund their unscrupulous activities.