JAKARTA ¨C Indonesia¡¯s president said on Monday his country remains a model of moderate Islam, countering critics who point to mass rallies by radical Muslims and the jailing of a Christian politician for blasphemy as evidence its reputation is crumbling.
¡°Pluralism has always been a part of Indonesia¡¯s DNA,¡± Joko Widodo told Reuters in an interview at the presidential palace in Jakarta. ¡°Despite many challenges, Islam in Indonesia has always been a force for moderation.¡±
Indonesia¡¯s state ideology includes national unity, social justice and democracy alongside belief in God, and enshrines religious diversity in a secular system of government.
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