O

ct. 3, p. 7

Indonesian companies and financial institutions are poised to help Iran sidestep international sanctions by setting up a joint bank to facilitate billions of dollars of annual trade between the two countries.

In addition, the Indonesian government is allowing its national satellite company to broadcast one of the world’s most vitriolic television stations, al-Manar, which is owned by Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization sponsored financially and operationally by Iran. (By Avi Jorisch, Washington, DC)

Your comments:

Mr. Jorisch, I enjoyed your article and I agree with your reasoning. We should do everything we can to keep Indonesia a free and pluralistic society. We are a sovereign nation, but we must have some principles, too.

Business with tyrants and dictators may enrich the pockets of the businessmen but it destroys a nation. We don’t need that. We should try to make Indonesia the moderate and open face of Islam, not the radical face.

Ahmed Abdullah
Jakarta