Ignorance about syariah law

Widespread demands in Indonesia that Indonesian migrant worker Kartini binti Karim should be spared from being stoned to death for adultery have been fulfilled. The council of judges of the Fujairah court in the United Arab Emirates declared Kartini free. I personally appreciate the work of the Indonesian government in this case.

However, it is difficult to imagine what will happen in the future if thousands of similar cases occur and the government has to interfere in the judicial systems of other countries. It sounds ridiculous to me that other countries would do likewise and interfere in our judicial systems. Judicial systems should be respected and obeyed by whoever lives in a country.

In the case of Muslim countries, which are governed by syariah law, the application of syariah should be respected by each and every Muslim living in that country. If a person does not declare himself a Muslim, the person will be excluded from the enforcement of syariah and other laws applied. On the other hand, if a person declares himself a Muslim, the implication is, automatically, that he has to follow the dictates of syariah.

Unfortunately, we Indonesians are completely unfamiliar with syariah law. It is clear that any country applying syariah law should not discriminate in employment opportunities based on sex, national origin and religion. There should be equal opportunities for people as long as they have the legal permit to work in the country. There is the misconception that only Muslims can work in Muslim countries. This is simply not true. They should not be discrimination based on a person's faith.

It is a coincidence that most Indonesians with lower educational backgrounds are by definition Muslims. However, their knowledge of syariah law is, unfortunately, limited.

It is the Indonesian government's responsibility to explain syariah law to prospective migrant workers prior to their departure. It is shameful to interfere in another country's judicial system. In the case of Muslim countries, interfering in syariah law means disobeying Allah since every Muslim believes the Koran is Allah's word. Disobedience to the law of Allah makes one a kufar (nonbeliever).

The basic Islamic education taught in Indonesian public schools provides enough material on the implications of disobeying the word of Allah. However, the teaching of how Allah's word should be applied as syariah is clearly inadequate. If it is not done, thousands of other cases like that of Kartini will emerge in the near future and create an even greater problem.

Y. PRAWOTO

Jakarta