The attack on a Christian pastor on Sunday was a natural consequence of a festering problem that the state has not been willing to resolve — the protection of minorities and the practice of pluralism as the country’s basic principle.
...
The government needs to understand that when it comes to matters of religion and minority rights, even in democracies, it should not be left for the majority’s overriding sentiment to decide, but for the state to protect. For it is in a country’s ability to protect its minorities that the integrity and legitimacy of the government lies.
...
The government needs to understand that when it comes to matters of religion and minority rights, even in democracies, it should not be left for the majority’s overriding sentiment to decide, but for the state to protect. For it is in a country’s ability to protect its minorities that the integrity and legitimacy of the government lies.
(... dikutip dari tulisan Desi Anwar, "Burning Questions", di Jakarta Globe, 13 September 2010)
