No food for non-Muslims in Aceh

The religious authorities in Aceh has banned any sales of food during daytime, throughout the month of Ramadan with the rule also applying to non-Muslims, The Jakarta Globe reported.

Aceh Shariah police operational head Hardy Karmy was quoted by the newspaper saying that food traders can resume their business from 4pm to 8pm and can stay open til dawn.

“They have to respect the Muslims who are fasting,” Hardy said.

The Jakarta Globe reported that the Shariah police or Wilayatul Hisbah, carried out a crackdown for the past three days to ensure the rule was followed.

The ban met protest from the non-Muslims who argued that their businesses would be affected.

“Since today they [the food sellers] are not allowed to sell food even if they had sold food to non-Muslims,” said Kho Khie Siong, head of the Aceh Hakka Foundation, an organisation of people of Chinese descent, was quoted.

“We respect those who are fasting, and we also respect the Islamic Shariah in Aceh because we have been living here for generations,” Kho said. “We were born and raised in Aceh. We are also Aceh people,” he added.

Kho called on the authorities to relax the ban so that food traders can run their business.

As he was speaking, dozens of Shariah police officers were standing by to clear up an alley, long known as a food center, in Penayong, Banda Aceh.

Each stall had a signboard that said only non-Muslims would be served.

Kho said such a ban was never enforced, especially in Chinese community areas.

He said the Chinese community would meet with Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal to discuss the ban.

A local resident, Erwin who lives in the alley also called on the government to lift the ban.

“We’re all non-Muslims here, so I hope the government will give us a little exemption,” he was quoted.