“Now, just to get an idea of how alive and well democracy is in Indonesia, just switch on to their television stations and without fail, there will be aired daily forums and discussion sessions highly critical of the ruling party and the President,” he said in a speech to German parliamentarians in Berlin.
“I am not suggesting that the system is perfect or that they have attained full democracy but at least most of the essential elements of a vibrant democracy are in place.”
Anwar (picture) was addressing the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin, where he cited as examples countries like Turkey and Indonesia to show Islam could be compatible with democracy.
He acknowledged, however, that many other Muslim nations practised what he called sham democracies.
Anwar said Indonesia was way ahead of other Muslim countries.
He said that the religion was getting a “raw deal” because of the actions of certain “dictators” and “pseudo-democrats.”
“And the absence of real democracy in that neighbouring country as well as other Muslim majority countries has very little, if any, to do with Islam.
“Islam, I would say, is getting a pretty raw deal here because of the actions of these tyrants, dictators, autocrats and pseudo-democrats,” said Anwar.
Anwar stressed that there was no “incompatibility” between Islam and democracy, and had cited Turkey as a “fine example” of a Muslim-majority country which practiced liberal democracy.
He praised Turkey for its efficient judicial and legal system, where a person would not face prosecution simply because that person was a leader of the opposition party.
“You can go about your daily business without the fear that at any time the authorities may just raid your homes and put you behind bars without a trial,” said Anwar.
Anwar, who was once touted as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s successor, was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.
He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
He is currently facing a second sodomy charge, which he has described as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power.”
In his speech yesterday, Anwar reminded leaders of Muslim countries to stop practicing “double standards”, claiming that many countries in Southeast Asia practiced “sham democracies.”
“Sham democracies as you know are now the rage particularly in Southeast Asia. Dictatorships and autocracies are at least clearly visible and we know that they cannot by any stretch of the imagination pretend to be democracies.
“Sham democracies on the other hand come well armed with the trappings of democracy. We can’t see or in certain cases we pretend that we can’t see that they are masquerades perpetuating injustice, human rights abuses and corruption,” he said.
Anwar added that the issue at hand was not whether Islam and democracy were compatible with one another, but more of whether leaders in Muslim countries were willing to uphold freedom and democracy.
“Let us not be confused about what the real issue is. It is not whether Islam and democracy are compatible but whether leaders in Muslim countries will uphold freedom and democracy. Nor is it a problem about the East being at loggerheads with the West,” he said.
01/10/10
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