The introduction of Sharia law in Aceh, Indonesia

Aceh in Sumatra is the only Indonesian province where Sharia Law, Islamic religious law, is in force. It followed years of conflict between Aceh and the central government. In Arabic, Sharia means "the clear, well-trodden path to water". It is derived from the Quran, Islam's holy book and from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Interpretation of Islamic law is nuanced according to local culture and customs, which means the application of Sharia Law may look quite different from country to country. Azwar Abubakar was the acting governor of Aceh who oversaw the first implementation of Sharia Law - a public caning - on 24 June 2005. He speaks to Surya Elango. (Photo: Azwar Abubakar. Credit: Tarmizy Harva via Reuters) Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

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The introduction of Sharia law in Aceh, Indonesia is an episode from Witness by BBC.

This episode is 10:47 long.

This episode was published on Apr 16, 2026.

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