Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

ARTICLE: "To Gain Among Muslims, Indonesia Offers to Mediate Middle East Disputes," by Donald Greenlees, New York Times, 8 June 2007, p. A11.

Waiting on this one for years.

Indonesia started pioneering Islamic bonds back in 2001. It's now a global market of significance.

It's only natural that such economic leadership within Islam aspires eventually to political leadership as well. Indonesia remains a Seam State worth watching.

So Indonesia holds gatherings. In April a conference of Sunni and Shiia clerics to discuss sectarian strife in Iraq. In August, there are plans to host Palestinian factions.

Indonesia alone accounts for 15 percent of Islam.

Some good bits:

... Indonesia hopes to encourage mutual understanding and show how Islamic states can profitably embrace modernity, better government and globalization, Indonesian officials say.

Almost my minimal global rule set to a T. What I always say is free markets, free trade, transparency and collective security. What I never say is democracy, because I believe in embracing globalization at a speed that can be sustained without too much tumult at first.

Indonesia is carrying our water for us. The democracy is implied and displayed, creating the best sort of demonstration effect.

But Indonesia does make the explicit arguments, and as good as those arguments are, they sound better coming from Indonesia than from us:

"The tradition of Islam has nothing to contradict participatory politics and good governance, [Alwi Shibab, the president's special adviser on the Middle East] told an audience that included King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. "Indeed, democracy is fully commensurate with the ethical and legal precepts of this great religion."

Indonesia goes to the head of the line. If I'm president, I can't help them enough in whatever ails them. Remember, its democracy is truly only about three years old.

But that's when the model is most salient, just like our emergent system in the late 1700s inspired so much of the rest of the world.

What does President Yudhoyono (former mil) propose for Iraq? The "three R's": replacement of American troops with Muslim ones under UN supervision, reconciliation among factions and sects, and reconstruction.

Yes, a bit pie in the sky for now, but that's how great things get started--like these United States.