Aceh orders Muslim flight attendants to cover their hair

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Muslim flight attendants flying into Indonesia’s westernmost province of Aceh must now don a headscarf upon arrival or face punishment by religious police, local authorities have announced, as concerns mount over decreased tolerance for freedom of choice in the ultra-orthodox Islamic region.

In a letter sent last month to air carriers operating flights to Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh’s main airport, the regional government said "all female stewardesses must wear a 'jilbab' Muslim fashion in accordance with the rules of sharia (Islamic law)," according to Reuters.

Jilbab is an Arabic term referring to a loose-fit and long cloak that covers a woman’s body down to her ankles. But in Indonesia, the word is used to describe the Islamic headscarf covering a woman’s head and neck, or hijab.

Promotional ad of Indonesia's national air carrier Garuda. /Photo via forumpramugari.com

Headscarf a must

Aceh is the only province in predominantly-Muslim Indonesia where Islamic law, or sharia, is implemented after the region was granted greater autonomy in 2001 when the central government moved to quell separatist movements. Muslim women in Aceh must wear a veil, while in the rest of the country, abiding by Islamic dress code is optional.

However, non-hijabi Muslim flight attendants are reportedly not conforming to the local laws during their stopovers in Aceh, prompting authorities to issue the new regulation – along with a warning.

"We are disseminating this regulation to the airlines through the end of this week. Later, we'll talk about punishment if we find there have been violations," Mawardi Ali, chief of Aceh Besar district where the airport is located, told AFP on Tuesday.

Half a dozen airlines fly to Aceh, including Indonesia’s national air carrier Garuda and its low-cost arm Citilink; Lion Air and Batik Air; and Malaysia-based budget airlines AirAsia and Firefly – the two main foreign carriers servicing the airport.

Two veiled flight attendants aboard a Garuda Indonesia plane. /Photo via bolehkah.com

Ali said first-time offenders will be reprimanded, while those who are found to disobey the directive repeatedly will be "nabbed" by Sharia police.

The official did not elaborate how women would be penalized if they refused to follow the new requirements but noted that sanctions would exclude public flogging – a common practice in the province condemned by human rights groups.

The new regulation does not apply to non-Muslim female flight attendants, who must instead opt for modest clothing.

Jakarta expressed support for the decision of the conservative province, stressing the regulations only apply in Aceh.

"I think it's a good idea because it's part of sharia and is only in Aceh. I support it," said Indonesia's Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi on Wednesday.

Reactions range from cooperative to cross

Indonesian air carriers expressed their readiness to comply with the new regulation, while foreign airlines operating flights to the region’s airport scrambled to find new ways to deal with the requirement.

A Garuda Indonesia aircraft is seen at the tarmac of Soekarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang near Jakarta, Sept. 28, 2015. /VCG Photo

"Garuda respects the local culture in Aceh," said the spokesperson for the company Ikhsan Rosan, noting that they might introduce uniforms with a head-covering scarf similar to those worn by female flight attendants to some destinations in the Middle East.

Citilink spokesman Benny Butarbutar said the uniforms of their female cabin crew on Aceh-bound flights have already been Islamic-compliant since 2015.

A similar message was echoed by Lion Group, which operates Lion Air, Batik Air and Wings Air. It promised to introduce special outfits in line with the new regulation.

Malaysia-based airline AirAsia expressed willingness to adhere to the regulation but noted that only male stewards would be rostered on flights to Aceh.

"We are committed to ensuring that our operations adhere to it (the mandatory headscarf requirement). For the time being, all AirAsia flights from and to Aceh will be operated by male cabin crew," AirAsia said in a statement.

However, Malaysian airline, Firefly, had a muted reaction, with its management saying it is still assessing the situation and no decision has yet been made.

An AirAsia logo is pictured at the ticketing counter at Changi Airport in Singapore, Dec. 29, 2014. /VCG Photo

"We are reviewing our crew rostering as well as trialing some possible overcoat options just for this destination," Firefly CEO Ignatius Ong told Malay Mail in on Wednesday.

The budget airline, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, might reportedly place only male or non-Muslim cabin crew on their Aceh route.

The new requirement, however, did not fly with users of social media platforms.

"I do not understand the reason for this and perhaps can someone explain to me why (there is) such a rule. Emirates, Turkish, Qatar (airlines) don't do this," wrote Twitter user @NVimala022.

"'Aceh orders female flight crews to wear hijab'... OMG, the fanatics are at it again," said another Twitter user @mhs65er.

But not everyone was incensed.

"It's about maintaining discipline. Hijab is considered as a modesty garment," stated @s_balendra.

Aching in Aceh

An Acehnese woman winces while being whipped in public for allegedly violating sharia law in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, May 23, 2017. /VCG Photo

Aceh has repeatedly made headlines owing to the strict enforcement of sharia law, the restrictions authorities place on its population of five million as well as public displays of corporal punishments.

Over the weekend, police in Aceh detained 12 transgender women during a raid on beauty salons, shaved their long hair and forced them to put on men’s clothes in an attempt to "help them to return to their nature as men," according to Police Chief Ahmad Untung Surianata.

Warias, or transgender women as known in Indonesia, are a symptom of a spreading "disease", he said.

Last month, a Christian man identified as Jono Simbolon was caned 36 times in front of a crowd for selling alcohol. On the same day, a soon-to-wed woman was whipped for allegedly becoming "too close" to her fiancé in the lead-up to their wedding. She and her partner both received 20 lashes in public.

In 2017, the flogging of two men caught by vigilantes while having consensual sex outraged international human rights groups. Each of the two 20-something men was caned 83 times in front of a baying crowd in what Human Rights Watch described as "a new low for Indonesia and Aceh".

(With input from agencies)