But now Indonesia is under pressure to become an Islamic state where Shariah law would be the official law and religious minorities such as Christians and Buddhists and others would become second-class citizens. Still, it seems, Indonesian people are resisting this demand and are hence keen to know the experiences of secular countries such as India. Also what is the experience of nation building in South Asia including Pakistan and Bangladesh? I was also asked to speak on the concept of human rights in Islam as in a democratic country human rights have fundamental importance. Indonesia, the largest Islamic country, is also faced with this question as minorities are coming under attack and their human rights are being violated.
Of course it is not at all correct to say that Islam is incompatible to democracy, I said in my talk. This myth is being spread by the supporters of authoritarian regimes in the Islamic world. Kings, sheikhs and military dictators are spreading such ideas, and to them it doesn’t matter if Islam gets a bad name in the process. I firmly refuted this myth and maintained Islam does not come in the way of democracy; it is dictators and monarchs who come in its way.
http://newageislam.com/islam,-democracy-and-violence---/islamic-ideology/d/1092
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9:54 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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