Women sitting on motorcycles \'must not provoke the male driver\' The mayor of Aceh, a hardliner Islamic stronghold in Indonesia is to ban women sitting astride behind men on motorbikes.   Mayor Suaidi Yahya has dubbed the position as “improper” and “provocative towards men”. Women will only be allowed to sit “side-saddle” with their legs dangling by the side unless they are driving the motorbikes and dressed in “a Muslim way”, according to Yahya.
\"It\'s improper for women to sit astride. We implement Islamic law here,\" added the mayor.
The move comes after leaders from the country\'s only province ruled by strict Sharia law drafted a series of new bills including banning women from wearing tight trousers, stoning adulterers and flogging homosexuals.
The mayor plans to publicise the ban in coming weeks and will discuss sanctions with local Muslim clerics before issuing formal legislation.
Indonesians mainly practice a moderate form of Islam. It is the biggest Muslim-majority nation in the world.
Strict Sharia law was introduced in 2001 after Aceh was given special autonomous status. The province now regularly canes people caught gambling or drinking alcohol.