As the victims and families cope with the aftermath of the July 17 bombings in Jakarta, people are again asking questions about terrorism.
How could people commit such a horrendous crime? Is education a factor? If so, then in what way? What is the role of religion? How does it relate to democracy?
Education does have a relationship with democracy, according to a recent study by scholars at Freiburg University in Germany.
The higher the level of education of a society, the more likely it is to behave in a more democratic way, which implies distancing oneself from violence, including terrorism.
The more important finding of the study is that autocrats act in their own interests when they try to keep people ignorant.
On the other hand, people who view democracy as desirable are advised to promote and improve education, because high school education nurtures a democratic outlook, and university more so.
Indonesia is seen as a country that has made significant progress in consolidating democracy.
In Jakarta, 60 percent of the population of 12 million are democratic, 35 percent are partly democratic and the rest are undemocratic.
In Bandung, three-quarters of the population of 2.5 million are democratic and the rest are partly democratic.
In Malaysia, the more pious people tend to be more democratic, somewhat opposite of the situation in Kosovo. People in the latter, where fanatic Islamists can be found among rich businessmen (much like in Palestine), hardly ever have a chance to learn about democracy.
The study by Dr. Theodor Hanf and Dr. Petra Bauerle attempts to find factors that determine a democratic attitude in a deeply divided society. The study was not on terrorism, but still shed some light on it.
Surveys for the study were made in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, southeast Europe and the Caucasus.
The study also found that religion was neither an obstacle nor a facilitator of democracy. It is not a driving force for democracy, nor a factor for undemocratic attitude.
"It is a loose gut that can hit one and another direction," said Dr. Hanf in a recent discussion hosted by the Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilizations in Jakarta.
In one country in Africa, the study found that educated Muslims were more democratic than educated Christians.
The apartheid theology in South Africa interpreted the Old Testament idea that men should materialize in many nations and languages. In short, God wanted men to be differentiated. The anti-apartheid theology held a contrary position.
Interpreting religion is a challenge for different generations at a particular place and time. How people interpret their religion determines their behavior toward others.
But this does not necessarily mean that the more fanatic people are the more undemocratic.
The first settlers in the United States, for example, were fanatic Christians who preferred freedom of religion because they did not want to follow their mundane rulers in their countries of origin.
Different interpretations of Islam were evident when other Muslim groups condemned the bombings.
As a footnote, Islam is not the only religion that has had a history of violence. Every major religion has had a taste of blood throughout history, including Buddhism, which is often looked upon as one of the most peaceful religions.
People are aware of Catholics terrorists in Ireland or Christian terrorists in the former Yugoslavia, for instance. No religion holds a monopoly on despicable behavior.
Dr. Hanf regards Indonesia as a very interesting country, because its history has never been based on religion.
The spread of Islam by traders in the country has been overwhelmingly peaceful and has been accepted by Buddhist, Hindu and syncretistic Javanese followers.
"There was no need to create jemaah *parishes* for defeated people," he said, "The coexistence of religions in Indonesia makes it a happy country."
The conflicts in Poso and elsewhere, he went on, were basically conflicts between natives and migrants. Caution, religiosity and conviviality do not influence democratic attitudes. There is no evidence for a particular affinity or disregard for democracy on the part of any specific religion.
As in education, democracy almost always correlates with income. The higher one's income, the higher the possibility of one becoming more democratic.
The writer is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post.
