T

he 67-year-old professor, Faisal Ismail, gives a strong and positive message to all regarding the favorable conditions for every individual residing in Indonesia irrespective of class, caste, creed, color, gender, etc. in his article, '€œAn Indonesian-style of democracy for Islamic countries'€ published in The Jakarta Post on Feb. 26. Faisal is in a good position to make comparisons between the democratic lives of a few nations because he was Indonesia'€™s ambassador to Kuwait and Bahrain from 2006 to 2010 and the secretary-general of the Religious Affairs Ministry.

There is no doubt that harmony is a product of tolerance and tolerance results in multiculturalism, which is the beauty of Indonesia. It is said, '€˜'€™Ten men ten tastes.'€™'€™ So, we should accept and respect people around us to create an environment of peace. When the concepts of respect, tolerance, etc. are practiced in families, neighborhoods and schools, then a nation will be on the path toward peace and development. Many nations can learn useful lessons from Indonesia.

Abraham Lincoln said, '€œAs I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.'€™'€™ It is true that a nation can only prosper when does not believe in discrimination. Indonesia believes in equality and harmony, which are two essential ingredients for a healthy and happy life. It makes me proud to say that Indonesia received an award for being a tolerant nation. I would like to mention that we have not faced a single instance that has made us feel unsafe or scared in several years. People in this nation are tolerant, respectful and cultured. In simple words, a democracy needs to be classless and promote equality. In Indonesia, primary school net enrolment reached 93 percent in 2002 with no significant gender gap. Other nations should try to mirror Indonesia'€™s achievement, as education is of paramount importance.

Indonesia provides a great, peaceful working environment for its female population as compared to many other nations where women are always at risk outside their homes. According to World Bank data, 51 percent of women are employed compared to 78 percent of men, which compares favorably with the number of women in Malaysia and India'€™s workforce at 44 percent and 29 percent, respectively, in comparison to the 77 percent and 81 percent of males employed in those nations.

It has been proved by many scholars that unequal societies have more problems in relation to general health, mental illness, infant mortality, etc. Whereas, equal societies enjoy good health and education, low crime rates and are more trusting of one another. We should be hands that uplift and a head that promotes tolerance.

Indu Nandal
Purwakarta, West Java