REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR - Democracy and Islam can walk side by side. Democracy contained distinct local beliefs, culture, and other characteristics, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on the 4th World Peace Forum in Bogor Palace.

"There is no contradiction between Islam and democracy," SBY said on Sunday. He added that Islam and any other religions could be in harmony with democracy and democracy in Indonesia grew with mutual values and Islamic tradition. 

"Indonesia has great Islamic tradition as well as universal democratic values," he said.

Democracy in Indonesia also grows together with economy. He said that Indonesia had proven that a country could develop democracy while maintaining economy. SBY explained that democracy could be different in every country based on its own local value namely religion, culture, and others.

"A country cannot simply imitate, import, and copy democracy of other countries," he said.

SBY said that the essence of democracy was people's participation in governance. However, the participation must be ruled according to available political system, laws, or negotiated rule of the games.

World Peace Forum

Meanwhile, Chairman of Muhammadiyah, Din Syamsuddin, said that the 4th World Peace Forum was a place to exchange view and outlook of idea, multiculturalism, and concept of diversity. "In our view and Muhammadiyah, multiculturalism concept is sunatullah (God's rules -Ed). Diversity in Indonesia is God's gift. Having multiculturalism means facing a challenge, can we live peacefully with other groups?" Syamsuddin said.

World peace forum has generated few ideas. One of them is that democracy is the most ideal choice of people in the world. However, Syamsuddin said that democracy must be based on ethic and moral values. "We must bring forward concept of consistency, coexistence of life, and share with each other," he said.

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