FPI lawyer arrested over terrorism link

[IndoTom]

@IndoTom I'm confused by your stance. On the one hand you're saying "Their country, their rules", upholding the tenets of democracy, then you condemn France's ban of the hijab and its ancillary swimwear for Muslim women.

Their country their rules, right?

I merely try to show some people how their democratic ideals of the western world are more propaganda than reality. The concept of everyone being free to practice how they want to live or dress in a democracy is all about the majority rule. I avoid Bali during the hindu nyepi holiday because I don't want to be inconvenienced by their religious beliefs. Their island is majority hindu so their rules yes? So why do foreigners in muslim majority areas of Indonesia complain so much that alcohol or pork can be difficult to buy or the idea of the country becoming officially islamic?

 

[Dharma Police]

I merely try to show some people how their democratic ideals of the western world are more propaganda than reality. The concept of everyone being free to practice how they want to live or dress in a democracy is all about the majority rule. I avoid Bali during the hindu nyepi holiday because I don't want to be inconvenienced by their religious beliefs. Their island is majority hindu so their rules yes? So why do foreigners in muslim majority areas of Indonesia complain so much that alcohol or pork can be difficult to buy or the idea of the country becoming officially islamic?

Then we are in agreement. To quote Ron Kovic, "Love it or leave it". I will leave it. Even at this juncture I cannot stand by and let my family continue to live in such an oppressive country.

 

[HappyMan]

I merely try to show some people how their democratic ideals of the western world are more propaganda than reality. The concept of everyone being free to practice how they want to live or dress in a democracy is all about the majority rule. I avoid Bali during the hindu nyepi holiday because I don't want to be inconvenienced by their religious beliefs. Their island is majority hindu so their rules yes? So why do foreigners in muslim majority areas of Indonesia complain so much that alcohol or pork can be difficult to buy or the idea of the country becoming officially islamic?

Actually, there is a lot of reality to freedom in western democratic societies. I spent time earlier wondering what I could say about religion without going to jail for blasphemy, in spite of the fig leaf of an alternate religion. Is there a western democracy where I would have the same concerns?

I'm not sure where the logic is in cordoning off bits of the world and saying, "minorities there just wanna' suffer, we should respect their choice". Ya know, it just seems a bit odd that we decide humans one side of an arbitrary line have the right to continued self-determination and that humans on the other side have given it up by their choice of birth-place. How far are you willing to take that principle? Should Jakartans not interfere if JaTim decides that long haired men should be lashed? Should the residents of Lembang be silent while Bandung beats its poor? Should the residents of Jl Setiabudi do nothing while the people of Jl Merdeka exile all the women in short skirts? Should we all just pretend our neighbors don't beat their wives? "If she chooses to live in that house...“

Then you have this principle that citizens of a certain group should be able to legally restrain the populace at large from doing things the group merely dislikes, but which cause no demonstrable harm to anyone... Yeah, that is some crap. The "right not to be offended" has got to be one of the least important rights... just completely at the bottom of the list and scheduled to be sorted out after we get everyone free tertiary education and gluten-free rice crispy treats.

The difference here is that France's democracy is suffering from a truly unsightly case of the chicken-pox (from which I hope it soon recovers) and the FPI wants to give Indonesia's democracy a terminal disease. There is no equivalence.

 

[HappyMan]

Should we all just pretend our neighbors don't beat their wives? "If she chooses to live in that house...“

Since I've already taken this analogy too far, thought I would share a Tracy Chapman song on the topic of domestic violence. It's just such a good song...

 

[ChrisTex]

Don't forget they(FPI) were offended by people wearing Santa hats.

 

[Vulgarian]

Should the residents of Lembang be silent while Bandung beats its poor?

There's a lot to like about your post, but the bombastic poetry of this line genuinely tickled me.