First steps in Meulaboh

My stay here in Meulaboh surprises me day by day. I really enjoy the place; however it also revealed many interrogations as well as many frustrations.

Even if Indonesia is crowded by a majority of muslim people, it remains a laic country.
Only the Aceh Province in the northern part of Sumatra Island is controlled by the charia law, and that can lead to difficult situations especially for the women…

When I listen to the muezzin songs during prayer time, it sounds like they accord themselves to the beauty of the world. Then, all is surrounded by the vibrations and a mysterious wind almost mystical comes over. But when I think of people suffering from the charia law, these songs sounds different to me.

Before coming over, I heard that the charia here was not so strong and that it was part of a relatively “open minded” islam…
In the place, I realize that it was not that true…In the street, it can be seen that all women don’t wear the veil indeed, but if they leave their hometown, they don’t have choice but to wear it. Furthermore, the charia police can go out and look for these guilty people who don’t wear what they are supposed to, or are on the wrong place on the wrong time…
Then these guilty women can be lead to the mosque to be beaten....