By: Andre Zulfikar *)
Jakarta, CIDISS – Radicalization is the most powerful and dangerous conviction that can cause an act of terror. Most of the terrorist group radicalize citizens for recruitment. They spread by undercover among the citizens, using people to hide its menace. This radicalization is rooted in the people’s mind to become stodgy and marginalize the others by religion. Law Enforcement will be difficult to identify and crack the real terrorist because they are hiding among the people.
Currently, radicalization in Indonesia is mostly done by jihadist group that are affiliated with Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS), such as Jamaah Islamiyah, East Indonesian Mujahidin (MIT) and some other that are undetected at the surface. Local media are often broadcasting the news about Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, an eminent preachers of Jamaah Islamiyah who has influenced many of people to do an act of terror. Even though he had been accused as a terror convicts. His conviction is already rooted in the mind of his follower. This could indicate that the violent extremist is still active in Indonesia.
The existence of MIT is also proofing that radicalization has changed the people’s mind. The leader of MIT, Santoso was known as a good person but had a financial problem in his family. Somehow, radicalization had changing the way of Life of Santoso. He used to feed his family but now he leave his family to be an extremist in Poso. He gather some people with his conviction to establish an islamic state with violent.
Protecting Indonesian communities from radicalization is not an easy and not a simple thing to do. The government must empowering some local partner such as religious figures, traditional figures and local figures to protect themselves. Communities—especially Muslim Indonesian communities whose children, families, and neighbors are being targeted for recruitment by the extremist—are often best positioned to take the lead because they know their communities best.
By empowering the local partner will strengthen the protection of radicalization. It is also will remind the people about how to live in difference peacefully. Protecting our Nation’s communities from violent extremist recruitment and radicalization is a top national security priority. It is an effort that requires creativity, diligence, and commitment to our fundamental rights and principles. [AZ]
*) CIDISS’s Social Observer
