Brunei's gay sex stoning law leads to boycott of sultan's hotels in Paris

Clients outside the two prestigious Paris hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei expressed their support on Wednesday for the worldwide call to boycott the hotels after a new Islamic criminal law was implemented.

Paris :Clients outside the two prestigious Paris hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei expressed their support on Wednesday for the worldwide call to boycott the hotels after a new Islamic criminal law was implemented. The laws took effect in Brunei on Wednesday, punishing gay sex and adultery by stoning offenders to death.

These laws have triggered an outcry far beyond the tiny Southeast Asian nation's shores with celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres voicing opposition. The celebrities rallied a boycott of nine hotels in the US and Europe with ties to Hassanal. Two of these luxury hotels were Plaza Athénée and Le Meurice hotel in Paris.

A tourist from Norway, 44 year-old Anja Anderson said she would definitely have made other plans than stay at the Plaza Athénée had she heard about it before placing her reservation.Outside the Le Meurice hotel, Philippe Ménager said he was not comfortable going to the spa anymore after being a loyal customer of the institution for 15 years.The penalties were provided for under new sections of Brunei's Shariah Penal Code.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah instituted the code in 2014 to bolster the influence of Islam in the oil-rich monarchy of around 430,000 people, two-thirds of whom are Muslim.Even before 2014, homosexuality was already punishable in Brunei by a jail term of up to 10 years. The first stage of the Shariah Penal Code included fines or jail for offences such as pregnancy out of wedlock or failing to pray on Fridays.

But under the new laws, which apply to children and foreigners, even if they are not Muslim — those found guilty of gay sex could be stoned to death or whipped. Adulterers risk death by stoning too, while thieves face amputation of a right hand on their first offence and a left foot on their second.

There has been no vocal opposition to the new penalties in Brunei, where the sultan rules as head of state with full executive authority. Public criticism of his policies is extremely rare in the country.Hassanal, who has reigned since 1967, has previously said the Penal Code should be regarded as a form of "special guidance" from God and would be "part of the great history" of Brunei.
On Tuesday, the United States joined the United Kingdom, Germany and France in urging Brunei to halt its plans.