This won’t make these punks’ day: Rock fans have heads shaved and get ‘cleansed’ in river in Islamic law crackdown

And so it continues…

The Daily Mail:

  • 65 youths have been sent to a police school in Indonesia’s Aceh province to receive mental and spiritual guidance for ten days
  • Only then are they are allowed to return home

By Graham Smith

Last updated at 10:06 PM on 14th December 2011

Dozens of young punk rock fans have had their heads shaved and body piercings confiscated after police in Indonesia said they were a threat to Islamic values.

The 59 male and six female music lovers were also stripped of dog-collar necklaces and chains and then thrown in pools of water for ‘spiritual’ cleansing, police chief Iskandar Hasan said.

After replacing their ‘disgusting’ clothes, he handed each a toothbrush and barked ‘use it’.

The 65 youths were then sent to a police school to receive mental and spiritual guidance for ten days. Only then are they are allowed to return home.

Indonesian police arrested 65 punk rock fans at a concert in Banda Aceh on Saturday. They then shaved off the youths' hair and removed their body piercings which they say threaten Islamic valuesIndonesian police arrested 65 punk rock fans at a concert in Banda Aceh on Saturday. They then shaved off the youths’ hair and removed their body piercings which they say threaten Islamic values

 

Boot camp: Police also replaced the music fans' 'disgusting' clothes and each was handed a toothbrushBoot camp: Police also replaced the music fans’ ‘disgusting’ clothes and each was handed a toothbrush

It was the latest effort by authorities to promote strict moral values in Aceh, the only province in the secular but predominantly Muslim nation of 240million people to have imposed Islamic laws.

Adultery is punishable by stoning to death; homosexuals have been thrown in jail or lashed in public with canes; women are told that wearing headscarves is a must, but tight trousers are banned.

 

Punk rockers have complained for months about harassment, but Saturday’s round-up was by far the most dramatic treatment they have yet been subjected to.

Baton-wielding police broke up the concert, scattering young music lovers.

Dozens were loaded into vans and taken to a police detention centre in the hills, 30miles from the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, for ‘re-education’.

They will be held there for at least ten days, after which they will be returned to their parents.

'Spritual clensing': The 59 male and six female punks were stripped of dog-collar necklaces and chains and then thrown in pools of water‘Spritual clensing’: The 59 male and six female punks were stripped of dog-collar necklaces and chains and then thrown in pools of water

 

The 65 youths were sent to a police school to receive mental and spiritual guidance for ten days. Only then are they are allowed to return homeThe 65 youths were sent to a police school to receive mental and spiritual guidance for ten days. Only then are they are allowed to return home

Fauzan, a 20-year-old punk, was mortified.

‘Why? Why my hair?!’ he said, pointing to his cleanly shaven head. ‘We didn’t hurt anyone.

‘This is how we’ve chosen to express ourselves. Why are they treating us like criminals?’

Chief Hasan insisted he had done nothing wrong.

He said: ‘We’re not torturing anyone. We’re not violating human rights. We’re just trying to put them back on the right moral path.’

Aceh was given semi-autonomy as part of a peace deal with Indonesia’s central government after the province agreed to end a separatist struggle in 2005.

Enlarge   The mass arrest is the latest effort by authorities to promote strict moral values in Aceh The mass arrest is the latest effort by authorities to promote strict moral values in Aceh

 

Punk rockers have complained for months about harassment, but Saturday's round-up was by far the most dramatic treatment they have yet been subjected toPunk rockers have complained for months about harassment, but Saturday’s round-up was by far the most dramatic treatment they have yet been subjected to

 

Thrown in jail: The Aceh region was given semi-autonomy as part of a peace deal with Indonesia's central government after the province agreed to end a separatist struggle in 2005Thrown in jail: The Aceh region was given semi-autonomy as part of a peace deal with Indonesia’s central government after the province agreed to end a separatist struggle in 2005

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

5 Replies to “This won’t make these punks’ day: Rock fans have heads shaved and get ‘cleansed’ in river in Islamic law crackdown”

  1. All I need to say is where is Angelina Jolie? The little lying idiot who goes around to muslim countries wearing a hijab and “helping” people as a UN worker. wHY doesnt this hypocrite go to indonesia and help these kids? hmmm…… Why arent the stars like lady kaka talking about this? hmmm……

  2. The look on their faces reminds me of the looks on the faces of the recruits who entered basic with long hair, they came out of the barber shop with the same look of disbelief on their faces.