ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why this is the case, and what implications it has for the state of democracy in Indonesia. The concept of atheism is in its origin a Western philosophical one but has been the subject of much discourse in Indonesia. It has long been most commonly associated there with communism. The guarantees of rights of religious freedom and the freedom of expression in the Constitution are benchmarks of democracy from a normative point of view, as these constitute key elements of democracy. The struggle for democracy has to be directed towards the fulfilment of human rights so that the principle of equality is their foundation. As Beetham says, democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin. The political articulation of a third power in the public sphere in Indonesia, majoritarian Islamic orthodoxy manifests in, among others, efforts to force homogeneity on behalf of religion and morality.
