Various Religious Leaders Compactly Condemn Suicide Bombings as a Radical Action

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By : Farrell Haroon Jabar)*

The suicide bombing in Bandung on December 7, 2022, which killed a policeman and a perpetrator, of course deserves criticism. This action not only caused unrest but also caused casualties.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Bogor Regency, West Java, condemned the suicide bombing at the Astanaanyar Police Station, Bandung City, West Java.

          Head of Education and Cadreization of the Bogor Regency MUI, Saepudin Muhtar, said that the Bogor Regency MUI deeply regretted the suicide bombing that occurred in Bandung. The incident was seen as an ideological threat to the Indonesian nation.

          According to Saepudin, who is often called Gus Udin, the act of suicide bombing, especially to the extent that it destroys people’s lives, is an act that is absolutely not recommended by any religion.

          He was also not surprised that the suicide bombers carried Muslim attributes. In fact, the true teachings of Islam are that it is not permissible to harm oneself, especially killing oneself.

          Gus Udin said, Muslims should not be provoked. Because Islam never teaches that.

          The chairman of the Bogor Regency MUI, KH Ahmad Mukri Aji, appealed to the clerics and kyai to strengthen Islamic religious teachings that are wasathiyyah or do not conflict with the government system.

          He said, religious understanding must be intact. Teachers in schools must teach true religious education, not radical, but Wasatiah Islam and rahmatan lil alamin. So that there are no more perpetrators of violence in the name of religion.

          Previously, the Head of the Bandung Polrestabes Kombes Po. Aswin Sipayung said the suicide bomber at the Astanaanyar Police Station died at the location following the explosion.

          Aswin said the suicide bombing occurred at around 08.20 WIB when members of the Astanaanyar Police were holding a morning rally.

          Aswin added that the suicide bomber was a man, the perpetrator broke through the morning assembly line while brandishing a weapon. Instantly, the members dodged and before long there was an explosion.

          West Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General Suntana Police said that 11 people were victims in the suicide bombing incident at the Astanaanyar Sector Police Headquarters, Bandung City.

          Of the 11 people, 10 people were members of the police and one civilian who was passing around the scene of the incident. Meanwhile, the suicide bomber has been confirmed dead at the location.

          On a different occasion, KH Juhadi Muhammad as Chair of the West Java PWNU Tanfidziyah strongly criticized the bombing that occurred at the Astanaanyar Police Station. He considered that currently West Java was experiencing a natural disaster, but instead there were people who deliberately made the atmosphere worse.

          Juhadi emphasized that his party from PWNU and PCNU throughout West Java strongly condemned the bombing that occurred in the city of Bandung.

          He stated that the result of the bombing had resulted in injuries and deaths. The victims who died and were injured were those who were carrying out the assembly.

          Meanwhile, the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) condemned the suicide bombing that occurred at the Astanaanyar Police Station, Bandung City.

          BPIP Expert Council Darmansyah Djumala said whatever the reason, terrorism in the form of suicide bombings is an act that cannot be justified.

          Of course it strongly condemns the barbaric act committed by the suicide bombers.

          He explained that suicide bombings not only kill innocent human lives, but also injure human values.

          Darmansyah also reminded that the threat of terrorism still exists around the community, even though a series of policies have been implemented, including the deradicalization program.

          Society must remain alert to all possibilities that encourage the occurrence of terrorism.

          He explained that terrorism is the end product of intolerance and radicalism. Therefore, the inculcation of tolerance, moderation and respect for diversity in every nation’s children needs to be continuously developed.

          He also emphasized that this event must be a lesson learned that the development and actualization of Pancasila values ​​is increasingly finding relevance and urgency.

          The same thing was conveyed by Antonius Benny Susetyo as Special Staff to the Chairman of the BPIP Steering Committee. Antonius explained that suicide bombings are considered a culture of death, a culture of death causes people to lose their minds. This action is of course very uncivilized and violates human rights and violations of human dignity.

          Naturally, this ideology of terrorism must be fought, so that no one becomes a victim of an ideology that is clearly contrary to Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

)* The author is a contributor to Nusantara Reading Room