Indonesian province orders Muslim stewardesses to wear headscarves

An Indonesian province said it is ordering Muslim female flight attendants landing in the region to don a hijab upon arrival -- or face punishment by religious police. Picture: AFP/ Chaideer Mahyuddin

An Indonesian province said it is ordering Muslim female flight attendants landing in the region to don a hijab upon arrival -- or face punishment by religious police. Picture: AFP/ Chaideer Mahyuddin

Published Jan 31, 2018

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Banda Aceh, Indonesia - Authorities in

Indonesia’s Aceh province have ordered female Muslim flight

attendants to wear headscarves when flying into the

ultra-conservative Islamic region, officials confirmed on

Wednesday.

Aceh is the only province in the predominantly Muslim

country to implement Islamic law. Muslims in the rest of

Indonesia generally practice a moderate form of Islam and women

are free to choose whether or not to cover their heads.

The local government, which has special autonomy granted as

part of a 2001 peace deal with the central government in

Jakarta, circulated a letter addressed to Indonesian flag

carrier Garuda Indonesia and several budget carriers

including Malaysia’s AirAsia and Firefly.

“All female stewardesses must wear a 'jilbab' (headscarf)

Muslim fashion in accordance with the rules of sharia,” the

letter stated.

The international airport in provincial capital Banda Aceh

services dozens of domestic flights every week, and

international routes to Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Mawardi Ali, chief of Aceh Besar regency where the airport

is located, said that non-Muslim stewardesses were not required

to wear headscarves, but that Muslim staff would be asked to

wear it while en route to and in Aceh.

A spokesperson for Garuda Indonesia, Ikhsan Rosan said the

airline and its budget arm Citilink "support the suggestions"

and would comply. 

Reuters

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