The Sharia Police in Aceh

ACEH, INDONESIA - 2014/06/03: Sharia Police (Wilayatul Hisbah) stop two young women who are wearing tights which goes against the prevailing Sharia Law in Banda Aceh. Sharia Police take down their personal details and give them the first warning out of three; anyone who receives three warnings will be sent to a religious rehabilitation centre. In the autonomous region of Aceh, there are two types of police forces: the standard police, who persecute and investigate everything from everyday crimes to murder; and the Sharia police or Wilayatul Hisbah, who are in charge of tracking people for human sins against the Islamic religion. The punishments range from religious rehabilitation to lashings. After a Sharia patrol car arrived at a scene of a girl gang, the girls immediately started screaming and dissipated as the grim faced officials dismounted the green military people carrier. Only 20 year old Desi remained behind as she worked in a shop nearby. She was given a verbal warning; she was inappropriately dressed although what she claimed was that the weather was too hot around there and she only wore short sleeves to stay cool whilst she worked. Among the criminal offenses and wrongdoings are alcohol, gambling, homosexuality, extramarital sex and khalwat (affectionate contact between unmarried couples). The latter, along with disobedience to the clothing rules, are what the Sharia Police or Wilayatul Hisbah usually prosecute people for. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images)