Democracy and Islam

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said democracy is a way to attain a country's prosperity. Islamic teachings are expected to support the implementation of democracy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Democracy in every country is determined by its system, its culture and historical back ground.

"The objective of a country is to achieve prosperity," Kalla said at the official opening of the second meeting of the Southeast Asian Forum on Islam and Democracy at the vice president's office, today (13/8).According to Kalla, democracy is a system found in many countries such as Indonesia, the United States, Europe, and Korea. Moslems in ASEAN, must respect democracy and diversity. Kalla further said that the Moslem community is currently the biggest population in Indonesia. "However, quantity is not more important than the values they hold," he said. He believes that Islam and democracy have always been interesting topics of discussion, especially when Indonesian leaders refers to democracy in their leadership. He cited Soekarno, known for his guided democracy, and Suharto with his Pancasila democracy.

"Today we have an open democracy," he said.Kalla praised the international meeting, which was attended by intellectuals, and hoped that it can create conformity. International Center for Islam and Pluralism executive-director, M. Syafi'i Anwar, said the meeting was aimed at strengthening the NGOs' network and Moslem intellectuals in ASEAN. The first meeting was held in Manila, the Philippines. According to him, Islam teaches peace and justice, therefore Moslems in ASEAN must be friendly and respect other faiths, despite the diversity. "Moslems must respect human rights and the existing regulations, " he said.

The meeting was attended by participants from seven ASEAN countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Filipina, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, and Timor Leste.

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