VIVAnews - A new regulation will be applied in Indonesia's West Aceh by the city’s regent, Ramli MS.
Starting January 2010, Muslim women in West Aceh will be forbidden from wearing tight pants and jeans.
The pants are allowed to be worn only if they are wide-legged and cover the ankles. Women could also wear them under wide long skirts.
If the women are caught violating the rule, they have to change their pants with one of the skirts provided by West Aceh government. Meanwhile, their pants will be cut.
According to the information obtained by VIVAnews, the local government has prepared replacement skirts in various sizes. The anti-pants operation will be centered in Meulaboh.
A sanction will also be imposed on men wearing shorts that expose their aurat (parts of body which are forbidden to be shown according to Islamic belief)
However, the regulation will be applied only to Muslims.
The new policy has apparently become a controversial issue in West Aceh. One of Meulaboh residents, 32-year-old Cut Mariana said the restriction is ridiculous.
“Controlling what not to wear is not the regent’s responsibility. There are tons of others issues that need to be worked on such as fund misuse,“ Mariana told VIVAnews on Wednesday, October 28.
Twenty-year-old Asmaul Husna, a student in Meulaboh also thinks the policy would be troublesome for women.
According to her, Islamic beliefs would never cause any trouble to its followers. “This is such an odd policy. If it is forbidden, there would be more people breaking the rule,“ she said.
Meanwhile, the regent of West Aceh, Ramli is still not available for interview.
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Translated by: Nataya Ermanti
