Indonesians Are Proud of Religious Pluralism

Re “Indonesia’s First Popularly Elected President Sworn In,” Oct. 21: I was impressed with your exhaustive coverage of the myriad issues facing Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, especially considering the recent, and misguided, focus in Indonesia reporting on terrorism alone. But it is wrong, however, to call Indonesia a “Muslim country,” when in fact Indonesians are quite proud of their multi-religious composition.

The state has no official religion, and the judiciary uses Roman-Dutch, not Sharia, law. This misnomer is equivalent to calling the United States a “Christian country,” despite the millions of people who adhere to other religions or no religion at all.

This distinction is crucial for better understanding of the world’s fourth most populous country and its role, or perhaps lack thereof, in terrorism and our “crusade” against it.

Evan White

Pasadena