Indonesian Christians Flogged in Rare Shariah Punishment for Non-Muslims
Two Indonesian Christians were publicly whipped for gambling, a rare case of non-Muslims being punished here under Islamic law, as the country shifts toward a more politicized brand of the religion associated with the Middle East.
The man and woman are residents of Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra island, a province that has imposed strict Shariah law. They were whipped at least six times each on Tuesday by a robed man wearing a mask and wielding a rattan cane. Hundreds of onlookers jeered them as the punishment was carried out on a stage next to a mosque in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.
Indonesia, the world’s most-populous Muslim-majority country, has long been known for its more moderate form of the religion. It has laws protecting the rights of Christians and other groups, a robust democracy and an open economy attracting investors including Toyota Motor Co. to Samsung...