Jamaah Islamiyah In Bangka Belitung Disbanded

37 members of the Jamaah Islamiyah affiliated group in Babel have declared their disbandment and made a statement back to the Republic of Indonesia in Pangkalpinang, Monday (12/8/2024). (ANTARA/ Try Mustika)

JAKARTA - As many as 37 members of the Jamaah Islamiyah group d Bangka Belitung Islands held a declaration of self-disbandment and pledged to return to the Republic of Indonesia.

The former chairman of the Islamic Boarding School Communication Forum (FKPP) affiliated with the Jamaah Islamiyah group, Mustaqim Safar said the declaration of self-disbandment and returning to the Republic of Indonesia was held today at a hotel in Pangkalpinang.

He said this activity was a continuation of a similar declaration held in Sentul, Bogor, on June 30, 2024.

"In this declaration, all members of Jamaah Islamiyah are trying to get an explanation, so it needs to be socialized, because it is feared that later members will not fully understand the reasons for the attitude taken by these pilgrims," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 12.

Mustaqim said that for Bangka Belitung, former JI members were all prominent people or educated people and preachers, because there was only one person whose level was below.

According to Mustaqim, they are not members, but most of them are sympathizers, they have backgrounds for various professions and levels of education, there are some people who cooperate with Jamaah Islamiyah institutions, are involved in the establishment of schools, there are also teachers, and some even these people do not understand what Jamaah Islamiyah is.

"Most of them do not know Jamaah Islamiyah, who is the administrator, even those who know me are only a few people," he said.

Mustaqim said the declaration made today was in the form of conveying several pledges, such as declaring disbandment, returning to the fold of the Republic of Indonesia and maximizing the potential of former members to fill the country's development.

In addition, there are also statements that are ready to correct excessive understandings to be directed with knowledge to the right path.

"And God willing, they are all ready," he said.

For Bangka Belitung, he said, this disbandment declaration activity has also collaborated with the Babel Regional Task Force which has taken a persuasive approach and so far has built good communication so that former members and sympathizers make statements with their own will without any coercion.

"I hope that with this declaration all members and sympathizers return in accordance with the honesty of the knowledge learned, God willing, if the honesty of knowledge is followed, it will take them to the middle or moderate and avoid various extreme actions or irregularities that are excessive," he said.

Regarding this declaration, he also expressed his appreciation to Densus 88 for helping former members of Jamaah Islamiyah to declare their disbandment.

"So far, we thought that Densus 88 could not be invited to communicate or dialogue openly as it is today, but in reality it started from Central Java and it was extraordinary that senior friends in Jamaah Islamiyah who were undergoing the legal process of their impression on Densus 88 were extraordinary, it turned out that there were persuasive approaches, as well as dialogueists who finally dismissed the impressions of both parties who could not be carried out persuasive approaches or dialogue so far," he said.

He said that if so far there have been people from Jamaah Islamiyah who have been a lot of trouble in the life of the nation and state, his party, who had previously been represented by elders at JI, apologized to the state.

"We make sure that in the future bad things like before will not happen again, especially since the younger generation today is much stronger, so the scientific foundation will not happen again. I also advise all members to continue learning, God willing, we will go to a moderate road," he said.