STRENGTHENING DERADICALIZATION EFFORTS IN INDONESIA by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 6, 2016 (Antara) - Vice President M Jusuf Kalla, concurrently chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), has expressed concern over radical thinking that could endanger the nation, and appealed to mosque managers to help fight radicalism and heresies.

         Since the country has the largest number of mosques, notably some 800 thousand, he believed that mosques could become "effective fortresses" to prevent radicalism from penetrating the nation.

           "That amounts to one mosque or a mushola (small mosque) for every 250 Muslims in Indonesia," Kalla said when speaking at an international seminar themed "The role of mosques in the face of deviant thought", organized by the Muslim World League (MWL), or "Rabithah A' A'lam Al Islami."
     It would not be easy to supervise or manage the mosques as around 95 percent of mosques in Indonesia have been built by the public, while in many Middle Eastern countries, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Pakistan, mosques have been built by the government, he, however, realized.

           "Therefore, all of the imams (leaders of the prayers), and khatibs (preachers of the sermons) there are personnel of the government, unlike in Indonesia. In Malaysia, when a khatib begins his sermon, he will first pray for the Sultan, and the government. In Indonesia, they begin by criticizing the government," he added.

         In accordance with the instructions of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the Indonesian authorities have intensified efforts on deradicalization as part of its fight against terrorism.

          Commissioner General Suhardi Alius, after being installed by President Jokowi as chief of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) on July 20, 2016, vowed to strengthen deradicalization and anti-radicalization programs.

         The deradicalization program will target those familiar with or following the ideology, while the anti-radicalization program is meant for those who have not been influenced by radicalism.

         "We will optimize (the programs). We will embrace all, including NGOs, mass organizations, and prominent religious figures. The religious community will also be involved," Alius emphasized.

         Deradicalization efforts will be carried out in regions considered prone to extremist ideology, such as Java Island and West Nusa Tenggara.

         Persuasive actions will be prioritized in dealing with terrorism, in addition to tough actions to repress extremists, Alius, former chief of the Police's Crime Investigation Department and deputy chief of the Jakarta Police, stated.

         Alius also pledged to carry forward the programs implemented by his predecessor, former BNPT chief Tito Karnavian, who was promoted to the post of the National Police chief.

         Furthermore, his agency is not resistant to inputs concerning human rights issues, Alius said.

          "I say that we should not be resistant to inputs, and moreover not every member of our agency has received training on human rights," Suhardi Alius said when visiting the office of the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) recently.

          He would welcome inputs and suggestions from Komnas HAM to improve counter-terrorism efforts in the country, he said.

         "Cooperation with Komnas HAM will become one of the solutions towards better counter-terrorism efforts in the future," he noted.

         The agency has also coordinated with other relevant institutions and mass organizations such as the country's largest and second largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, he explained.

          "The point is that we need to evaluate the past counter-terrorism implementation," he said.

          His commission is ready to support BNPT in carrying out counter-terrorism efforts, Chairman of Komnas HAM M Imdadun Rahmat said.

         "We welcome all initiatives and ideas to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism. We are ready to support BNPT to make sure that counter-terrorism in Indonesia is still in line with human rights," Rahmad said.

          Terrorism is an extraordinary crime, which is also against humanitarian values. However, the commission asked BNPT to prioritize legal enforcement and respect the constitutional rights of terror suspects.

          Counter-terrorism must remain within the framework of the criminal justice system, he said.

          Komnas HAM is opposed to the paradigm being changed into a "war against terrorism" because it will cause serious human rights violation, he added.

           Both institutions will also join forces to disseminate the anti-radicalism information.

            Moreover, both government institutions have agreed to oversee the revision of regulations on terrorism to ensure that they work effectively and positively in preventing and ending acts of terrorism, Rahmat said.

           "We will also ensure that human rights are upheld in our efforts to eradicate terrorism, so the regulations need to be improved with time," he added.

          Besides with Komnas HAM, BNPT has also established cooperation with sociologists and ulemas to carry out the deradicalization program outside and inside penitentiaries.

         Although not all inmates of terrorism cases are willing to listen, the number of radicals and the level of their radicalism have decreased, he said.

          The agency is trying to find a more effective and efficient alternative to make the inmates abandon terrorism.

            "However tough terrorists are, they still have a heart. (They) should be embraced," Suhardi Alius, former head of the National Police's Crime Investigation Department (Bareskrim), said.

          BNPT has a Terrorism Prevention Coordinating Forum (FKPT) in 32 provinces to map out places where radical groups are rampant.

          "The presence of FKPT in 32 provinces has been optimized. Now we need the strengthening of the Law on Terrorism," he said. ***2***
(f001/INE/o001)
 06-08-2016 12:50