By: Muhammad Yasin)
Radicalism is a dangerous virus that can target anyone, including children. The doctrine of radicalism in children can threaten the future of the nation, so it requires vigilance from all parties.
Maybe so far there are still many people who think that radical understanding is almost impossible to spread to children, but in fact, as stated by Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan as the Head of the Public Information Bureau (Karopenmas) of the National Police, that Densus 88 found dozens of minors aged about 13 years old who are members of the Indonesian Islamic State (NII) group in West Sumatra.
The children have been given allegiance or sworn to allegiance to the group by being brainwashed. Then what is even more worrying is that the recruitment of NII members does not only look at age, but also does not look at gender boundaries at all. So some of the 77 children also have girls in them.
A further fact was stated by Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan that in fact hundreds of current NII members have followed the teachings of the radical group even since they were in their teens. Of course this cannot be left alone. Therefore, the National Police immediately took quick steps to establish coordination with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI).
It is also undeniable that the actual recruitment process from NII can be said to be quite well structured and neat and systematic as well. In fact, this is a challenge for all of us in order to be able to fight and prevent radical groups like this from continuing to develop in Indonesia because they may have threats to spread terror.
If indeed they have a very strong desire to be able to change the state ideology, namely Pancasila into another ideology and then do everything possible to make this happen, then it is not impossible that terrorism will spread more and more and of course the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia will be threatened. . The reason is that the NII network in West Sumatra also has mutual affiliations with terrorist groups in Jakarta, West Java and Bali.
Even this concern is not without reason because in the arrests made by Detachment 88, a number of evidences have been found such as sharp weapons in the form of karimbit knives, machetes, bayonets, axes to cutter knives. Imagine what it would be like if such radical teachings poisoned the mindset of the children of the nation’s next generation who should be able to learn much better and have friends and wide associations but must be poisoned by radical group understanding.
The sad thing is that usually such teachings are not only based on association or the external environment, but actually come from the child’s closest environment, namely his own family. It was found that the radical notions adopted by children turned out to be derivatives of their parents. Therefore we all must always increase our vigilance.
The doctrine of radicalism in children is a clear example of the spread of anti-Pancasila ideology that targets all groups. Parents and the wider community are expected not to ignore and always monitor the growth and development of children. With mutual concern, it is hoped that the spread of radicalism can be prevented.
)* The author is a contributor to the Nusa Bangsa Institute
