- By Ely Márquez
- (General Dispatch) – Four health care workers have been charged with violating an Islamic law by washing the body of a deceased patient with covid despite not being unmarried close relatives, on the island of Sumatra.
- Women in Indonesia are forbidden to expose parts of their bodies that are usually covered to men who are not their Mahram. The rule imposed is that the Mahram must clean the woman before burying her body.
- As the workers were cleaning the body of the 50-year-old woman, they did not realize that family members and hospital staff were watching the bath they were giving her.
- The family, upon witnessing the act and observing that the corresponding measures were not taken, denounced the fact that four male workers were involved and should have been brought to justice for having misapplied the procedure and not applying the rules according to their profession.
- The malpractice offense carries up to 1 year in prison. The Sumatra Island police indicated that it is a blasphemy offense carrying a penalty of up to 5 years in prison in Indonesia.
- The Indonesian Ulema Council ruled that the corresponding law be applied to those involved, because last year it was ruled that personnel must apply the standard procedure according to Islamic law to bodies killed by Covid.
- The Ulema Council said “the bodies of men are washed by men or women who are their wives and daughters. For women, the bodies are washed by women, except for men, who are their husbands and sons.”
- The case is still under investigation and those involved must report to the prosecutor periodically pending a sentence in accordance with the laws of religion, which is expected to be handed down soon.
Adittional Information:
Breitbart: Indonesia: Hospital Staff Charged with ‘Blasphemy’ for Cleaning Dead Coronavirus Patient
News Week: Indonesia: Hospital Staff Charged with ‘Blasphemy’ for Cleaning Dead Coronavirus Patient
