A commitment to fight against terrorism and radicalism

Jakarta. Vice President Jusuf Kalla held a meeting tonight at his official residence with Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan, National Police Chief Badrodin Haiti, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Chairman Saud Usman Nasution, and some Islamic scholars, discussing efforts to fight against terrorism and radicalism.

Initially the Vice President reminded that conflicts in the Midlle East can have an impact to Indonesia.

Yet in fact, he added, Indonesia is known as the most tolerant country. “90 per cent of our people are Muslims. But our tourism icons are Bali and Borobudur temple and this does not bother us,” he said.

However, such a tolerance, Mr Kalla continued, is threatened with the coming of radical ideology such as ISIS.

Such radical ideologies, the Vice President said, must be prevented from entering Indonesia. “Everybody must be involved. The efforts can be in the form of education, dakwah (religious teachings), and economy,” he said.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan reported to the Vice President that ISIS extensively makes use of media as propaganda. The radical group, he continued, consists of many intellectuals able to influence the public. “That is why we need deradicalization programs in which the Ulema are encouraged to take in,” he said.

The National Police Chief at the same vein said that ISIS not only utilizes mainstream media as propaganda but also social media.

Mr Haiti then told that ISIS comprises 3 groups, namely the main group, the supporting group, and the partisan group. Its members, he added, can be anyone, ranging from a CEO, a housewife, to a police officer.

Of the three ISIS groups, according to him, the main group is the hardest one to be deradicalized.

In the meantime BNPT chairman proposed a “soft approach” to convert the mindset of the radical group members.

“First, we need to make a profiling, then hold a discussion with an ex-terrorist as a speaker, and at last providing a training on national wisdom,” said Mr Nasution.

He then underscored the importance of continuous guidance and supervisory programs for ex-terrorists and their families. “We have to tackle all the problems, from the upstream to the downstream,” he affirmed.

Attending the meeting were Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Said Aqil Siradj, Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir, former Muhammadiyah chairmen Syafii Maarif and Din Syamsudin, the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) Jimly Asshiddiqie, UIN Syarief Hidayatullah Postgraduate Programs Director Azyumardi Azra, and former President’s Special Envoy to Middle East Alwi Shihab.

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