ABSTRACT

The chapter seeks to answer the question of what has made the province of Aceh a distinctive region in Indonesia and why it deserves a special status. It argues that the special status of Islamic Aceh has been historically constructed by way of a longstanding and evolving process of Islamic identity formation. Explaining the special status of Islamic Aceh, this chapter discusses various current topics, including the legal and political basis of the special status, state institutions related to enforcing Islamic laws, shariah provisions included in the Qanun (regional regulations of an Islamic nature), and the scope of the Islamic criminal law that affects non-Muslim residents. Finally, the chapter discusses criticisms of the caning penalty for non-Muslim offenders.