The Politics of Islamic Law in Aceh

Islamic Law and Society, 2012

This study of the contemporary Islamic legal system in Aceh, Indonesia argues for new attention to be paid to the ways in which contemporary Muslim agendas for the implementation of Islamic law can be read as projects for future-oriented social transformation—rather than as a series of reactive measures to perceived 'crises of modernity' and/or the political machinations of rival elites in contesting control of state power. In doing so it highlights the ways in which the ideals of, and institutional formations developed by, proponents of Islamic law are configured in relation to a broad range of non-Muslim modernist projects, including European and American theories of the sociology of law. Through examinations of these influences on discussions of Islamic law in Aceh, this essay demonstrates the degrees to which contemporary Sharīa implementation is inextricably linked to broader configurations of law, moral authority, and state power in the modern global order.

This article provides an historical account of the implementation of Islamic law in Aceh and how the issue of Islamic law has been debated. The study will give more emphasis on the dynamics of the implementation of Islamic law, its historical development, typologies of Islamic law, leaders’ opinions regarding this issue, and the governments’ responses. This study argues that Islamic law in Aceh has been misinterpreted merely as h{udu>d law. In addition, it argues that the provincial government tends to put heavy emphasis on symbolic religious issues (such as the Islamic dress code and the usage of Arabic signs and letterheads), rather than the substance of Islamic law such as justice and prosperity for all. Finally, the study has made evident that implementing Islamic law is never a good method of attempting to resolve conflict. There is no need to establish Islamic law formally through the political process because, when politics enters in religious arena, it carries with it many interests. Keywords: Aceh, Shari>‘ah, Qanun, Adat, H{udu>d.

Islamic Law and Society, 2012

This study of the contemporary Islamic legal system in Aceh, Indonesia argues for new attention to be paid to the ways in which contemporary Muslim agendas for the implementation of Islamic law can be read as projects for future-oriented social transformation—rather than as a series of reactive measures to perceived 'crises of modernity' and/or the political machinations of rival elites in contesting control of state power. In doing so it highlights the ways in which the ideals of, and institutional formations developed by, proponents of Islamic law are configured in relation to a broad range of non-Muslim modernist projects, including European and American theories of the sociology of law. Through examinations of these influences on discussions of Islamic law in Aceh, this essay demonstrates the degrees to which contemporary Sharīa implementation is inextricably linked to broader configurations of law, moral authority, and state power in the modern global order.

JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN ISLAM, 2007

This article provides an historical account of the implementation of Islamic law in Aceh and how the issue of Islamic law has been debated. The study will give more emphasis on the dynamics of the implementation of Islamic law, its historical development, typologies of Islamic law, leaders' opinions regarding this issue, and the governments' responses. This study argues that Islamic law in Aceh has been misinterpreted merely as h{ udu> d law. In addition, it argues that the provincial government tends to put heavy emphasis on symbolic religious issues (such as the Islamic dress code and the usage of Arabic signs and letterheads), rather than the substance of Islamic law such as justice and prosperity for all. Finally, the study has made evident that implementing Islamic law is never a good method of attempting to resolve conflict. There is no need to establish Islamic law formally through the political process because, when politics enters in religious arena, it carries with it many interests.

2015

Journal of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Societies, 2022

Abstract: This article is aimed to explore the contested authorities in the enforcement of sharia law in Aceh. The existence of these contesting authorities could be observed in the qanun shari’a (the shari’a bylaws) formulation and implementation processes. In Aceh Province, this contestation is also further complicated by a wider contestation among formal and non-formal actors, representing pluralities of Aceh jurisprudence perspectives. Hence, the dynamic of sharia law products and its implementation in Aceh actually [re]presents a unique situation of how pluralities of actors could influence the Sharia Law formulation and its enforcement, and this is also mediated by the historical, political and cultural contexts. This research utilizes a qualitative approach, through a library research data collection which is also combined by few interviews. Generally, it seems that the authorities or agencies of both formal and non-formal institutions sometimes intersect, overlap and co...

Analisa: Journal of Social Science and Religion

This paper argues Islamism in Aceh Province, Indonesia, has a long history within the social structure of the Acehnese people. Genealogically, there are two factors to view Islamism here, namely the relationship between Islam and politics in the past, and the people’s cultural and social construction, which has a strong Islamic base. Therefore, the collective memory about the relationship between Islam and politics, as well as the construction, then has implications in the lives of the Acehnese people in closely viewing those from various aspects. This study applies a qualitative method in which the data were collected through observation, interview, and documentation. The findings indicate that Islamism in Aceh is not a form of compensation from the Government of Indonesia to quell the conflict, but rather the form of aspirations that come from below on the long-standing awareness in the cultural and social structure of the locals regarding the relationship between religion and the...