Sharia Compliant Indonesian District Bans Unmarried Couples From Dining Together 

Indonesian Bireuen district in ultra-conservative Aceh Province, which strictly follows Sharia laws has banned inter-dining of Men and Women, Time has reported. The new diktat prevents men and women who are not related to each other from dining together in restaurants and cafes.

Unmarried males and females who are not close relatives should not eat and drink at the same table, because it is sinful according to Shariah law, says the head of the district’s Islamic Affairs office, Jufliwan.

He claims that the objective of this regulation is to ensure that women’s dignity is protected. This move, he said while speaking to AFP, will make women feel more comfortable and prevent them from violating Sharia.

The Islamic affairs office’s circular also said that restaurants should not serve women after 9 PM if they are not accompanied by their spouses or male relatives. Aceh is one of the most conservative provinces in India. The semi-autonomous province is the only region in Indonesia to implement Sharia law strictly.

The local parliament has passed laws that make headscarves mandatory and ban women from wearing tight clothes. The province has laws that ban gambling, alcohol and same-sex relationships which are punishable by public caning.