In Indonesia, America Must Learn From Past Mistakes
By: Sardar Atik Ahmad

In 1977 Pakistani dictator Zia-ul-Haq came to power and soon after establishedmadrassas which promoted anti-Western and anti-Christian ideology. Because ofthe Soviet-Afghan war, millions of Afghanis sought refuge in Pakistan - many ofwhom became indoctrinated in the madrassas radical teachings. Pre-occupied withSoviet defeat, America paid no heed to this radicalization ... and soon afterthe Taliban was born.

We cannot allow the same mistake to occur in Indonesia. Earlier this year, morethan 1000 Indonesian extremists attacked an Ahmadi Muslim mosque and killedthree Ahmadi Muslims, and then brutalized the naked corpses. Although videofootage documents the attacks, only 12 men were arrested and today we learnedthat they were given a sentence of only three to six months in jail. AhmadiMuslims promote secularism, champion women's rights and have never committed asingle act of violence despite facing persecution for more than 100 years.

While it may sound alarmist, as thepast tells us, America cannot ignore this dangerous trend in Indonesia.