Once again, as the Ayatollah Khomeini said, There is no fun in Islam. “Aceh Sharia forbids Chinese dance of the lions,” by Mathias Hariyadi from AsiaNews, December 21 (thanks to C. Cantoni):
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Indonesians of Chinese descent are in revolt against the decision of the Religious Affairs Office of Aceh, which has banned the popular barongsay (the dance of the lions, ed) during the commemorations of the fifth anniversary of the tsunami. The authorities explain that it is clearly extraneous to local culture and they want to “maintain religious harmony.” The descendants of the Chinese replicate by describing the decision as “ridiculous”.
Kim, an Indonesian of Chinese descent in North Jakarta, speaks of a “ridiculous and shameful” decision, in open violation of the five basic principles (the Pancasila) that “ensure full respect for cultural diversity.” They are the five pillars of secular nationalism, on which the country has built its history since independence in 1945. “The decision to ban the barongsay – he adds – humiliates the various ethnic groups in Indonesia, including the Chinese people of Aceh.”…
A. Rahman TB, an official of the Religious Affairs Office of Aceh – the most fundamentalist province of the country, where Islamic law is in force – justifies the decision stressing that the dance “has never been represented before” and the desire to maintain” religious harmony among the Muslims of Aceh and other ethnic groups in the province”.
“It’s stupid” replies Martini, a woman of Chinese origin who lives in Jakarta, based on “completely unfounded reasons”. The Chinese community states that the barongsay has”no religious character”, but is only a” cultural show “. Finally they add that they received all necessary permits from local authorities, including a police permit….