SPQR,

"I do however have a huge chuckle every-time I picture you with a little Poirot-style mustache."

Well yes, my moustache is magnificent. I'm just sitting here presently applying the emollients and pomade, shaping, firming it into its appropriate alignment....(my daughter is being married this Saturday, so one needs to prepare for these things - the mother of the bride should always appear on such occasions at her best : )

Dear Danielle,

You might have to enlighten me I'm afraid.

On a thread called ’Is our biggest neighbour turning into a theocracy?’ you post a link to a story titled ’Ethnic and Religious Criteria Still Steer Indonesian Democracy’ which seemingly supports the contention that it might be, and I respond in a manner which reflects the position of many of the other respondents who have since posted on the JP article.

I'm a little perplexed as to why that might be considered a diversion, unless of course the article itself is.

However I will acknowledge you were making a point about democracy being relative and my response was potentially diversionary to that.

Dear SPQR,

If you get your bottom spanked in one thread it is hardly good manners to be bringing those grievances onto another. Time to move on my friend. Did you have something pertinent you wished to contribute here?

Dear Poirot,

;)

@ CSteele,

Prithee post or link to these shots which you say you have of me having my bottom smacked. I would most like to see them
:-p

I suspect, as with Shadow Minister on another thread, I will be waiting forever for you to substantiate your claim!

Professor Colin Brown, Dept of International Relations, Parahyangan University, Bandung, Indonesia, observes:

“Socially and probably politically, the electorate is becoming more conservative, led in particular by groups presenting themselves as defending traditional Islamic values against the allegedly “liberal” values promoted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his government.”

Whether Indonesia eventually becomes a "Jihadi" state is anyone's guess.

Danielle wrote:

>>Whether Indonesia eventually becomes a "Jihadi" state is anyone's guess.>>

Agreed.

For what my tuppeny ha'porth bit is worth I think that provided they go on getting more prosperous they will escape become a full blown Jihadi state. But if there is a severe economic downturn all bets are off.

However some of the news is rather disturbing. It's not so much the incidents themselves, though they're bad enough, it's the lack of action by the police.

This from from the Herald Sun two days ago.

Mob throws urine at churchgoers

>>A MOB of Islamic hardliners has thrown plastic bags filled with urine at an Indonesian church congregation.

The attack, during which stones and dirt were also hurled, occurred on Thursday as around 100 Christians prepared to hold a service at a church in Bekasi, a city on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta.

Members of the Philadelphia Batak Christian Protestant Church have been targeted several times in recent years.

"They attacked when the priest started to speak to the congregation. A crowd of 600 people threw bags of urine and dirty water as they tried to push police," a lawyer for the church, Judianto Simanjuntak, said.

"Police didn't even try to disperse the crowd, so they were open to attack us."

[…]

Several other churches in Bekasi have suffered attacks in recent years, the worst leaving a priest badly bashed and an elderly leader stabbed during a Sunday service in 2010.

Mr Simanjuntak said that groups of Islamic hardliners had intimidated Christians in Bekasi several times this month and that leaders of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) had been spotted among them.

[…]

Police also shut down several events held by Canadian writer Irshad Manji after the FPI held violent protests condemning Ms Manji's liberal views on Islam as well as her homosexuality.

Ninety per cent of Indonesia's population of 240 million identify themselves as Muslim but the vast majority practise a moderate form of Islam.>>

Hope for the best and plan for the worst is all Australia can do.

Dear Steven,

Sigh.

You can't claim “it's the lack of action by the police” when the quote you provides quite clearly states “A crowd of 600 people threw bags of urine and dirty water as they tried to push police”.

So the police were in attendance, they were keeping the groups separate and obviously trying to keep order. It is hardly inaction.

What is instructive was the response from Indonesia’s most influential Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah toward the incident;

“By law, the government has a duty to offer security and protection if there is a citizen, regardless of religion, who feels that they cannot perform their religious duty, or feels threatened when doing so, including building places of worship,”.

Do I think we should be aware of the issues facing our northern neighbour? Of course! But you are beating a kettle drum when a door chime would suffice.