Diplomatic Forum is a monthly RRI World service's new programme, which is held both off air and off air featuring Ambassadors and Representatives from foreign countries and world organizations as speakers. Through this program, RRI World Service implements its function as the second track diplomacy, in informing, connecting and dignifying.

Diplomatic Forum: DEMOCRACY IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

"Revolution" to become a democratic country has been and is still continuing in some Islamic countries, or countries with majority Muslimpopulation(MuslimWorld).

What is Democracy? And how the development of democracy in Islamic Countries or countries with majority Muslim population today?

Departing from this question, RRI World Service, Voice of Indonesia in cooperation with the Hotel Santika Premiere Jakarta presented a Diplomatic Forum with the theme "Democracy In The Islamic World" held on February 27, 2012 in the Mawar Room, Hotel Santika Premiere Jakarta.

The forum which was opened by President Director of LPP RRI, Mrs. Niken Widiastuti, and broadcast live either by the Voice of Indonesia and the Pro-4, RRI World Service invited the Ambassador of Lebanon to Indonesia H.E. Victor Zmeter, the Ambassador of Tunisia H.E. Mohamed Antar, Political Analyst, Head of the Graduate School of State Islamic University, Prof. DR. Azyumardi Azra, Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus for Palestine Mr. Al Muzamil Yusuf and Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr.A.M. Fachir as speakers.

The dialog that lasted 60 minutes and hosted by Anna T. and Rigel B, and attended by 75 invitees, discussed about the process and the development of democracy in Islamic countries or Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, Lebanon and Tunisia.

Democracy, of course,can not be separated from the stage of political struggle, the state, power, and the government on the one hand, and the relation between Islam and other entities outside of Islam, on the other side.
According to Lebanese Ambassador, Victor Zmeter, democracy is a noble process that can not be equated with a product that can be traded. Democracy can be started from a process of education conducted at home or school.
Ambassador Victor Zmeter said that Lebanon was one of the few countries in the Middle East or Muslim world which felt the effects of the revolution for democracy known as the Arab Spring. The process of democratization in Lebanon has been making progress, although not completely perfect.
Victor Zmeter also said that he was impressed with the democratization process in Indonesia that brought Indonesia from an autocratic state into a democracy that has progressed smoothly.
Victor Zmeter hopes democracy will bring stability and prosperity for mankind, especially the people of Lebanon.

The process of transition that took place in Indonesia from 1998-1999, according to political analyst and Head of the Graduate School of the State Islamic University Prof. DR. Azyumardi Azra is running more smoothly and cause fewer casualties than the democratization process taking place in the Islamic World (Islamic countries). According to Prof. Azra democracy in Indonesia is still in a consolidation phase in which the violence is still common in times of local elections. However, Azra added that other countries can share Indonesia's experiences regarding the involvement of women in civil society and democracy.

According to him, Arab countries have reached a "point of no return", where they can not return to the authoritarian state.

Meanwhile, Tunisian Ambassador to Indonesia H.E. Mohamed Antar said that Tunisia did not have a diverse ethnic groups as in Indonesia, making the country was more united and harmonious, and madethe "revolution for democracy" lasted shorter compared to other countries. Ambassador Mohamed Antar also said the Democracy were not spare parts or could not be injected, but a process that took a long time, even up to three generations.
According to Mohamed Antar, revolution in Tunisia, known as Jasmin Revolution was not something that could be traded or exported, but a "Wind of Freedom, Justice and Glory which did not want the return of Dictatorship".

Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus for Palestine, Al Muzamil Yusuf who is also a speaker in the Diplomatic Forum said that Islamic countries or Muslim-majority countries could learn from the experience of Indonesia in establishing democracy.
According to Yusuf Muzamil democracy in Indonesia started to run well. It could be seen from the strong control of the legislature on the executive, the independence of judicial institutions, the seriousness in fighting corruption, the invisibility of the role of the community and also freedom of speech and press. While in the Middle East Countries the criteria for a democracy was still a few.

Democracy does require a long process and must come from within not from without.
According to the Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy Ministry of Foreign Affairs AM. Fachir as one of the speakers in the Diplomatic Forum, democracy was a tool that should be controlled, otherwise democracy would not work. AM Fachir also mentioned that some of the characteristics that democracy has been exist in one country was the passage of the freedom of aspirations and the welfare of the people.//(DP)