Comments: Landscape changing of Muslims

We can say that Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah are mainstream or mainline because their members constitute a large majority of Muslims in Indonesia. By this numerical figure, one would be optimistic of the prospect of the moderate character of this nation.

However, this character is not permanent. It should not be forgotten that such a stance was not taken until few years after the declaration of independence, when nationalist leaders convinced Muslim leaders to give up the demand for an Islamic state to save the common agenda of establishing an independent state. Earlier Muslim leaders, including those from the two major organizations, shared the demand for a special position of Islam, as a majority religion, in the constitution.

Your comments:
This is the rhetoric that destroys freedom and liberty and replaces the rights of humanity with the dictatorship of a theocracy.

A student of government should know no prosperous nation with a theocracy exists.

Brien D
Brisbane

Simply put, the lack of economic equality will radicalize the Muslim population. This is really not a new premise and has been observed elsewhere - when people have little to lose they are more likely to look for radical solutions (such as sharia) even if those are even less likely to bring them economic equality.

The solution to the huge inequality in income distribution in Indonesia lies in the development of agriculture which employs 46 percent of the local workforce. As long as agriculture is mainly subsistence agriculture, there is no chance for the rural population to build up capital.

As long as investors, Muslim or not, do not invest in agriculture, there will be little change. As long as Indonesia's plentiful natural resources, which permit easy profit-taking with little investment in human resources, do not run out, investors will prefer investing in the exploitation of natural resources over any alternative. Sad but true.

Emanuel Shahaf
Jerusalem