Woman Collapses in Agony as She and a Man Are Caned Under Sharia Law in Indonesia for Being ‘Seen in Close Proximity’

By Zachary Stieber
December 29, 2015 Last Updated: December 29, 2015
A member of the sharia police receives a cane as officials conduct punishment based on Islamic sharia law in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015. Aceh is the only province of Indonesia enforcing the Islamic Sharia law and offenders are punished by public caning. (Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)

Hundreds of people watched outside a mosque in Indonesia to see a woman and a man being caned. Warning: Images may be disturbing to some.

Cheers went up as a masked man caned the woman, as a punishment for being “seen in close proximity” to a man she wasn’t married to, under Sharia law.

Nur Elita was marched to the yard of Baiturrahim Mosque in Banda Aceh for the punishment, reported the Jakarta Post, citing the Antara news agency.

Images show her kneeling down before starting to get struck by the masked man.

 

A young Acehnese woman (L) is caned in public, a punishment under the Islamic sharia law, under the offence of "khalwat" or "close proximity" between a man and a woman who are not spouses, in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015. (Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)
A young Acehnese woman (L) is caned in public, a punishment under the Islamic sharia law, under the offence of “khalwat” or “close proximity” between a man and a woman who are not spouses, in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015.
(Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)

 

As the lashes built up, she began to scream in agony and eventually collapsed to the ground. 

After five lashes, she was taken to an ambulance, which was set to take her to a nearby hospital. 

The man then received five lashes, but had to stand up the entire time. Four other men were caned for allegedly gambling, which is also forbidden under Sharia law.

A young Acehnese woman (L) is caned in public, a punishment under the Islamic sharia law, under the offence of "khalwat" or "close proximity" between a man and a woman who are not spouses, in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015. (Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)
A young Acehnese woman (L) is caned in public, a punishment under the Islamic sharia law, under the offence of “khalwat” or “close proximity” between a man and a woman who are not spouses, in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015.
(Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)

 

Deputy mayor Zainal Arifin, who watched the scene, told the crowd that the punishments should be lessons for everyone. 

“Take these punishments as a lesson. What has been done by these convicts should not be taken as an example. And, I hope their canings in Meuraxa district today will be the last ever,” he said.

Sharia law comes from an interpretation of rules from the Koran as well as edicts from Islamic officials. The district is the only one in Indonesian to be under Sharia law.

A young Acehnese woman is carried by officials after being caned in public in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015. (Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)
A young Acehnese woman is carried by officials after being caned in public in Banda Aceh on December 28, 2015.
(Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images)

 

Sharia law is followed in parts of the Middle East, including the region held by terror group ISIS.

The Islamic State recently murdered a woman who was breastfeeding her son under the cover of her burqa in public for “violating public decency” under the law, reported the Sunday Times.

The all-female ISIS police brigade al-Khansaa reportedly mutilated the mother before killing her. The brigade has previously declared that children as young as nine should be married and that women should obey men–their masters–and remain “hidden and veiled” at all times.