Comment: The tyranny of the majority

Sept. 1, p. 6: “The greatest threat facing the US is the tyranny of the majority,” penned 19th-century French writer Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America. He could just as easily  be writing about Indonesia today, especially after Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali announced his plan to ban Ahmadiyah, a religious sect with more than 200,000 followers. He said the presence of the sect, whose existence predates even this republic, is an affront to Islam, the country’s predominant religion.

Your comment:

The Jakarta Post has consistently spoken out against the unjust and unconstitutional 2008 decree and against all persecution of minorities.
Their writers should be commended for their courage in the face of increasing threats to press freedom.
Rafiq Mahmood
Bogor, West Java

Good editorial, thank you for showing the courage our leaders lack. This is slippery slope, there is
a reason the Constitution is not based on a single majority religion.
Arief
New York