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Real democracy should protect 'minority rights', says Islamic scholar
Democracy is not just about an electoral system where a leader is elected by a population’s majority, but also just as importantly how members of the minority receive equal civic rights, an Islamic scholar argues, referencing mounting sectarianism in the lead-up of the Jakarta election.
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Staying confident: Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (on stage, second right) listens to complaints conveyed by Jakartans in an event at his campaign team headquarters Rumah Lembang in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Nov. 16. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.)
Democracy is not just about an electoral system where a leader is elected by a population’s majority, but also just as importantly how members of the minority receive equal civic rights, an Islamic scholar argues, referencing mounting sectarianism in the lead-up of the Jakarta election.
Zuhairi Misrawi, a young Muslim intellectual from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation's largest Islamic organization, said democracy understood only as a process of electing a leader was not a real democracy.
"There is a particular value democracy struggles [to uphold]: equality—that is when everybody has the right to vote and the right to be voted for," Zuhairi said in a discussion in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.
The campaign team of non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent who remains the frontrunner in the most recent public opinion polls, has reported to the Jakarta election watchdog several disruptions Ahok has faced when campaigning in several areas of the capital.
Ahok’s campaign team spokesperson Raja Juli Antoni has claimed that the disruption attempts have been orchestrated by “political elements".
Beside ethnicity and religion being an impediment for some to vote for the incumbent, Ahok has also been criticized for his forced evictions in which the police and the military have been involved to secure the demolition of several kampung. Data from Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) showed that more than 8,000 families were evicted last year, many without adequate compensation. (evi)
