(UK prime minister) Cameron calls on Islam to embrace democracy and reject extremism

[jeanV]

2. Indonesia, an inspirational path? David Cameron should have asked Lady Gaga.

"Cameron will hail the "extraordinary journey" undertaken by Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998 as an example of the "inspirational path" countries can follow. "? An inspirational path??

Just last week, a concert by Lady Gaga has had to be canceled and the tickets refunded because of threats by radical religious groups. Now don't get me wrong, Lady Gaga's music is absolutely not my cup of tea. The problem is the principle.

"extraordinary journey" undertaken by Indonesia, since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998?? Another strange statement. Religious radicalism has been on the increase since Suharto left. Here again, don't get me wrong, dictatorships 'à la Suharto' are not my cup of tea either. The problem is the trend.

Cameron is dead on the money when he mentions the muslim world recently has faced a "dead-end choice" between extremism and dictatorship. What Cameron politely sweeps under the rug is that by reaction to the authoritarian regimes of the past, the peoples have tended to turn towards extremism, because they used to be the organized resistance to autocracy.

The best way to help the muslim world is to empower its moderates. We do these moderates a disservice when we pretend all is going well, and forget to point to the flaws too. The cancellation of Lady Gaga's concert should have been alluded to.

Out of support for the moderate muslims. And because it never hurts to call a spade a spade.