Every
time a terrorist attack occurs in Indonesia, the idea of “deradicalisation” is
always discussed.
Not long ago, a number of officials and observers
also proposed that the Indonesian government introduce a program to
“deradicalise” the perception of Islam among youths. This was especially true
following acts of terrorism widely reported in our media, coupled with the
release of a research report by Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University
that found around 50 per cent of young people in Jakarta condoned the use of
violence in the religious realm.
Did the research only involve respondents from
Muslim backgrounds? Or were non-Muslim youths involved? If non-Muslim youths
were included would the result have been the same?
Indonesian Islamic institutes, particularly
those with a Western slant, generally prefer to explore the weaknesses in the
Muslim community itself, for the sake of gaining economic advantage from
Western countries.
Although they are followers of Islam, their
practice of criticising Islam has become a source of pride because such
researchers will be appreciated by Western nations and non-Muslims.
Western countries are very keen on Muslims who
are fond of finding fault with their own religion.
For example, the Muslim author Salman Rushdie
received various awards from the West after writing The Satanic Verses, a novel
that insulted Islam.
In Indonesia, quite a number of people have
proudly appealed to open diplomatic ties with the Israeli regime for various
reasons. Ironically, they claim to be true democrats. They pretend to be
unaware that the Israeli regime is undemocratic because it has violated the
human rights of Palestinians.
It would be better and more elegant for
Muslims who notice the weaknesses of an Islamic movement to directly give their
input to the leadership of the relevant organisation.
Ironically, they just prefer to make the issue
a “research project” that produces economic gain from Western donor institutes
and foundations, at the risk of creating conflict between themselves and
“fundamentalists”.
They prefer to ally themselves with the West
to oppose their fellow believers. Those who always claim “to uphold principles
of democracy” are oddly reluctant to have dialogues and discussions with their
dissenting fellow believers. Consequently, any difference of opinion tends to
be settled through conflict and violence. This pattern applies not only
nationally but also internationally.
However, a different view has been voiced by
former coordinating economic minister Rizal Ramli and an Islamic political
expert from the National University of Malaysia, Abdul Halim Mahally.
As Rizal wrote in Rakyat Merdeka Online: “The
phenomenon of radicalisation of a group of Indonesian citizens, including those
with religious labels, has arisen and developed along with the government’s
failure in increasing employment, lessening unemployment and reducing the
number of poor people. The gap separating the haves and the have-nots in the
country is widening instead of narrowing. The display of wealth by a small
group of people occurs when the greater part of the population has to strive
hard to survive and is marginalised.”
Meanwhile, Mahally, also writing in Rakyat
Merdeka Online, maintained it was “regrettable that handling terrorism in
Indonesia centers more on the aspect of ideology. There are many factors
affecting the growth of terrorism, while only ideology is being widely
discussed.
The roots of the bomb issue are in fact
diverse. Poverty, revenge and oppressive authorities are the other causes of
thriving terrorism in Indonesia. But why is attention more often paid only to
ideology?”
The views of both experts obviously offer a
perspective different from the mainstream opinion lately. So far radicalism and
terrorism have merely been connected with “Islam”. As a result, the
subconscious of the nation’s majority always links acts smacking of terrorism
or radicalism with Islam.
Though our public officials have reiterated
“terrorism has nothing to do with some religion”, it seems the connection is
hard to deny. Recently the public anxiety following the “brainwash” operation
was also linked with Islam.
Gradually but surely Islam will become a
specter frightening all circles. The further impact is that the
“deradicalisation” programme is translated by officials at lower levels into
“de-Islamisation”, as in the recent case when a local official said that
anybody with a beard and turban should be watched out for.
Later on, Muslims going to mosque could be put
under surveillance. What would happen then, if community members were
suspicious of each other?
Therefore, eradicating radicalism and terrorism
down to their roots should be interpreted — in the views of Ramli and Mahally —
as promoting people’s welfare and enhancing the sense of justice among members
of all strata of society.
And on the international scale, it would
reflect how our government could actively participate in putting an end to acts
of violence in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, which has proven to be a hotbed
of the virus of terrorism.
Riza Sihbudi
The Jakarta Post
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