the islamic court of bulukumba 173
Islamic Court of Justice, Bulukumba
are without effect. Government offices implement the veiling obligation
in government buildings and refuse to help unveiled Muslim women.¹⁷
Due to public pressure, the abovementioned female activist from desa
Muslim Padang, currently always wears a veil in public, whilst before
2003 she never did so.
2.5 The Islamic Court and the Sharia Byelaws
The Islamic court of Bulukumba also implements the veiling regulation,
although no visible signs are displayed explicitly instructing women to
do so. Pak Muhammad Rusydi Thahir, the head of the Islamic court
of Bulukumba in 2010–2011, is an outspoken proponent of the Sharia
byelaws. According to him, they will bring benefit to the community
(kemaslahatan) as Allah will reward good conduct. He did not look
favourably on gender activists and the researchers of Komnas Perempuan,
who, he said, came to Bulukumba for a few days in 2009 and, based on
very little knowledge, wrote a long and judgemental report.¹⁸
Interview with Nurlaila Umat, an official of KemenAg Bulukumba, Urusan
Agama Islam, 3 August 2011.
Interview with Pak Muhammad Rusydi Thahrir, the head of the Islamic court of
Bulukumba, 9 November 2010.