THE entourage of the Democrat Party arrived just before sundown. Led by Party Chairman Anas Urbaningrum and Secretary General Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, the official party delegation, which won the 2009 General Election, had arrived a few hours later than scheduled.

However, Sheik Panji Gumilang, leader of Ma’had Al-Zaytun Pesantren, a sprawling Islamic boarding school, was not upset. He still welcomed them with a big smile. They had long been