A Secular Democracy

Stressing Indonesia's Muslim character also risks playing into the hands of a small but dedicated band of local Islamic extremists. The radicals want to take over the government, implement Sharia, and break off ties with the West. They'd like nothing more than to see a public debate about whether Indonesia's soul is secular or Islamic. While their numbers are still tiny, the extremists have gained some traction in recent years by threatening to brand moderates as anti-Islamic or pro-Western. The Obama administration only makes life more difficult for these moderates when it describes Indonesia in Muslim terms.

Washington must avoid falling into the trap of the Bush administration, which saw the world in black-and-white terms and tended to overlook the shortcomings of its friends, especially moderate Muslim states. For all its progress, Indonesia still has plenty of room for improvement and shouldn't be given a pass.

That said, there's nothing wrong with turning Indonesia into an example. The trick is to remember what's really important about it—especially its success keeping religion out of its elections. Few developing nations are as pluralistic and have embraced democracy as quickly. Those are the traits that Washington should emphasize—in Indonesia, abroad, and, yes, even in the Middle East.

Cochrane is deputy editorial adviser at The Jakarta Globe.

© 2009