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Islamic parties seek ban on alcohol consumption in Indonesia

26 Comments
By Eveline Danubrata and Michael Taylor

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26 Comments
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it's not oficcially approved yet. if the law is approved, polices will get more income because everything illegal in Indonesia just 'officially illegal'. everyone still can enjoy it just by paying more money. so no body take it seriously about it.
0 ( +0 / -0 )

Read the article, people.

@Nessie. Who cares some places are exempt. The idea that "islam" is constricting the minds and lifestyes of indonesia (for even more than what they already are) is too severe in this day / age. No alcohol?

What's next? Women cannot drive, attend universities or soccer games? Eventually, will they be allowed to simply speak?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

do your own research,

I have. Extensively.

but alcohol has been proven to be the real "gateway" drug

You say that as if it were bad.

Let me repeat: this is religious issue. I take my beer very seriously.

Now, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How do the Hindus (and tourists) on Bali feel about this? So many resorts would suffer? What`s next - burkinis for all?

They're tickled pink, since the law exempts Bali and domestic boozehounds will have all the more reason to go there for some R&R. What happens in Bali stays in Bali more than ever.

Read the article, people!

"The proposed legislation banning all alcohol consumption would exempt some locations to protect tourism such as five-star hotels and the resort island of Bali."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This will tank the tourism industry in Bali overnight if they go through with it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yogi Zuna wrote: '...if religion is left out of the argument....lives have been ruined and lost because of alcohol it's not funny anymore.'

Which is a valid point, however alcohol is not addictive for all who can consume it responsibly.

Heavy drinkers generally have an underlying cause for altering their mental state daily.

Why do people in any culture need this kind of self medication for mental anguish?

Is it clever to lock people away for two years over what is a community issue caused by life conditions?

Would it not be better to address the core issues that cause people to self medicate with mind altering substances daily; rather than using a punitive 8th century approach to generate social capital needed to solve the mental anguish?

Just how evolved is any culture that cannot address the cause, rather than the symptom of issues?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Yogi. It is the fanatical suicide bombers brainwashed by their religion who have ruined so many lives. If indonesia drinks responsibly, then whats the problem? Lest them "fanatical" islamic leaders forbid alcohol for the sake of their so-called religious duty.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You do not have to believe me, do your own research, but alcohol has been proven to be the real "gateway" drug, so Indonesia is right if they do this, even if religion is left out of the argument. So many lives have been ruined and lost because of alcohol it's not funny anymore.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

'...legislation that would ban all consumption of alcoholic drinks and bring jail terms of up to two years for offenders...'

Two years jail for consumption of alcohol, seriously? That's taking the Island State back to 8th century religious law.

In total denial Abdul Hakim disagrees saying: '...This is not a religious or ideological issue.'...the Prosperous Justice Party told Reuters...'

Then what about the consumption of tobacco? Isn't tobacco the leading drug of addiction, causing death and disablement through disease in Indonesia?

If this proposed law is not an ideological law; are they going to continue to legalise tobacco consumption?

Perhaps in their hypocrisy they will continue to support wealthy Islamic Indonesians who distribute this known drug with no food value or social benefit; all because tobacco use is not covered in the Qur'an...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It will be economical suicidal for Indonesian Tourism Industry and Indonesia Government. Westerners will stay away from Bali if the law was introduced.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

“This is not a religious or ideological issue,”

These people really do not understand how seriously I take my beer, wine, and whiskey.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

concern for people’s health rather than any ideological motive.

Must be. Pork chops or pork bacon are not included in banning. Good for Indonesia.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Christianity wins the lion's share of atrocities in history, by far!

@ smithinjapan: I guess you have no idea what Muslims are doing to non-Muslim girls and people in places like Nigeria and other parts of Africa these days. They are also doing them to fellow Muslims.

I say if a person is offended by alcohol, then don't drink or buy it. Just because you may want to practice a different religion that has prohibitions against it, then you should be secure in your faith to let others around you do what you consider a sin as long as you don't partake in it. Drinking is not going to kill someone, unless they drink and drive and you can put measures in place to prevent that. But if someone wants to sit in their home alone and have a drink, how is that going to affect your religious beliefs?

“This is not a religious or ideological issue,” Abdul Hakim of the Prosperous Justice Party told Reuters. “This is purely for the protection of the children of the nation.”

That is probably the funniest things I have read. I watched a Vice documentary awhile back on the large numbers of smokers in Indonesia, especially among the children. They showed kids as young as 6 and below smoking, picking up the habit from seeing the adults. If they really want to "protect the children" then they should ban cigarettes along with alcohol. That way they can be healthier and still have the opportunity to live a long life in some of the third world conditions that you see in Indonesia.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Acknowledging that Indonesia is far from Yemen and North Africa, if Islamic societies want to ban a truly harmful substance, I would suggest khat. Khat cultivation sucks up about 40% of the water supply in Yemen. But then, religions tend to prohibit drugs rather randomly.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Don't blame an entire religion and its people for the actions of a very, very small few when Christianity wins the lion's share of atrocities in history, by far!

Considering that you've chosen to make such an outrageous claim, surely you can offer some proof or evidence for it? Off the top of my head, the Golden Horde, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong make that rather unlikely.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

USA had similar alcohol prohibition law years ago. Prohibition Era. Not death sentence but FBI had hard time to catch moonshiners and importers. So, IRS got into the picture and enjailed Al Caoine whom FBI tried to put in jail for years but never could.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

How do the Hindus (and tourists) on Bali feel about this? So many resorts would suffer? What`s next - burkinis for all?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Throwing people out of work in the name of religion should be punishable by jail terms. Selfish, superstitious clown.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

“This is not a religious or ideological issue,” Abdul Hakim of the Prosperous Justice Party told Reuters."

It certainly is a religious issue. These Islamists must be stopped from forcing everyone to obey their way of thinking.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Hawkeye, don't forget the part about "if you try to change to another religion, even if it's for the very reasonable reason that the person you're marrying is another religion, we sentence you to death or prison"!

8 ( +9 / -1 )

“This is not a religious or ideological issue,” Abdul Hakim of the Prosperous Justice Party told Reuters. “This is purely for the protection of the children of the nation.”...The proposed legislation banning all alcohol consumption would exempt some locations to protect tourism such as five-star hotels and the resort island of Bali.

"Think of the children" meets "Show me da money".

9 ( +10 / -1 )

“Of course I don’t agree with it, why would you prohibit someone’s hobby to drink? So after banning drinks, what else would they ban? Smoking?”

If you were to ban either of the two, smoking would be a definite first. In any case, this would be suicide in terms of tourism, even if they promised to allow it at 5-star hotels and in Bali.

Ostap: "That's Islam for you. You can't drink alcohol or look at women but you can behead people, shoot them, or crash jets into buildings."

Ridiculous. That's like saying one of the main tenets of Christianity is murder because some radical nutbags bomb buildings like McVeigh did, or kill abortion doctors because said doctors are 'murderers', etc. Don't blame an entire religion and its people for the actions of a very, very small few when Christianity wins the lion's share of atrocities in history, by far!

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

That's Islam for you. You can't drink alcohol or look at women but you can behead people, shoot them, or crash jets into buildings.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

this will just send Indonesia backwards, plenty of other countries that would be happy to take Indonesias tourists. pushing the beliefs of one faith over all faiths/peoples is what causes so many of the worlds wars over the centuries. high rates of smoking in Indonesia cause more premature deaths than drinking ever will. maybe they should ban smoking as well!?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Live and let live. If people want to drink, leave them alone.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Muslims are so "not fun people" to be around. Ban this ban that, women you cant see and cant drive over to your pad for some nookie, Persian style which involves fresh cantaloupes or any other fresh sweet juicy melon. Come on Islam why are you such a drag and make every day such a chore and unhappy world to live in? Music is bad, movies are bad, dancing is bad, women need to be corralled in armed camps lest they display their goodies. Islamic men are such insecure childish individuals that are afraid of their women being any more than property and will take off with anyone because they are so well treated at home or rather prisoners is more like it. If you treated your women better, you would not have to be worried about them leaving. Long live Allah.

22 ( +27 / -5 )

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