In the global debate about the compatibility between Islam and democracy, Indonesia is often held up as an example of the possible, writes Sadanand Dhume in a commentary on our opinion pages. The world's most populous Muslim country has institutionalized free elections and the peaceful transfer of power, nurtured a lively press, and rolled back a panoply of racist laws that once targeted the country's ethnic Chinese minority, he says. But the continuing persecution of the Ahmadiyya, a small Muslim sect founded in late 19th century India, underscores Indonesia's -- and the Muslim world's -- trouble guaranteeing a bedrock democratic value: freedom of conscience. Without it, the country's proud claim to be the world's third-largest democracy will remain lacking.Read Sadanand Dhume's commentary:
Everyday of Freedom is an Act of Faith for my writings ============> http://robertoscaruffi.blogspot.com for something on religions ===> http://scaruffi1.blogspot.com
