JAKARTA - The Director of Prevention of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Brigadier General R Ahmad Nurwakhid said religious figures can be the entrance as well as the exit for radicalism and terrorism in Indonesia.
"Religious figures are an entry point as well as a potential exit door for radicalism and terrorism," said R Ahmad Nurwakhid as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, November 30.
Religious figures as entry points for radicalism and terrorism, he explained, can be seen from the index of potential for radicalism based on the BNPT survey in 2019 which is worth 38 percent.
According to Nurwakhid, this percentage cannot be separated from the presence of intolerant and radical religious content on social media which reaches around 67 percent.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in early 2020, when people were required to adapt to the digital world, the index declined to 12.2 percent.
This finding, continued Nurwakhid, was caused by the increasingly massive use of social media by religious leaders.
"They are massively doing da'wah through social media, such as YouTube and Instagram," explained Ahmad Nurwakhid.
Religious leaders, such as ulama, kiai, and teachers balance intolerant and radical religious content with moderate religious content.
In this way, according to Nurwakhid, these religious leaders become the exit for radicalism or terrorism in Indonesia.
"These are all spearheads, especially radicalism and terrorism in the name of religion, are religious figures," said Nurwakhid.
R Ahmad Nurwakhid also said that BNPT had formed a Task Force for Religious Leaders in Indonesia.
"BNPT has also formed a Task Force for Religious Leaders, whether it consists of the Islamic Ormas Friendship Institute (LPOI) and the Religious Ormas Friendship Institute (LPOK)," he said.
In addition, BNPT actively participates in supporting religious leaders to become a gateway for radicalism and terrorism.
He also said that another thing that can be done to overcome the influence of radicalism and terrorism in Indonesia is the "vaccination" of the Pancasila ideology to all elements of society.
The vaccination, he explained, was carried out through inculcating Pancasila values, national insight, and moderate religious teachings so that people had immunity from exposure to radicalism and terrorism.
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