ABSTRACT
As Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim majority democracy, this perspective provides an important backdrop to the broader question being considered, which is the nature of the contemporary democratic state and Indonesian constitutionalism. Liberal pluralism and political liberalism in particular is a notion that can assist in resolving the tensions inherent in the promotion of both faith and freedom. The Indonesian constitutional and legal framework reflects the dynamic relationship between religion and the system of governance exhibited in the social/political landscape. The Constitutional Court decided that Indonesian law protects all religions practised in Indonesia and not just the six most commonly adopted faiths, thereby firmly endorsing religious pluralism. Blasphemy laws present a variation on this theme as particular offences are expressed in religiously neutral terms. Pluralism is rooted in the Indonesian constitution, and therefore forms a natural and integral part of the discussion about the fundamental values influencing national policy and lawmaking.
