Ignorance about syariah law

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