Radicalism In Central Sulawesi Is Not Just Da'wah, FKUB Asks Citizens, TNI-Polri To Optimize Prevention

A number of Indonesian Army soldiers are hunting for an MIT group in Lembangtongoa Village, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi (ANTARA/HO)

SULTENG - The Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) of Central Sulawesi Province (Sulteng) fully supports the efforts made by the TNI-Polri in taking action against perpetrators of terrorism crimes in the Central Sulawesi region, including in Poso.

"What the TNI and Polri have done in Poso Regency, in an effort to eradicate terrorism, is a tangible manifestation of the state's partisanship in providing a sense of security and comfort to the community," said Chairman of the Central Sulawesi Province FKUB, Zainal Abidin in Palu, Antara, Sunday, September 29.

The TNI-Polri who are members of the Madago Raya Task Force continue to pursue and arrest the hard-line East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) group in Poso Regency.

In fact, the TNI and Polri are reported to have succeeded in killing Ali Kalora as the leader of MIT and one of its members named Jaka Ramadhan.

Ali Kalora and Jaka Ramadhan were killed in a shootout between the Madago Raya task force that occurred on Saturday, September 18th.

FKUB, said Zainal, supports the efforts of the TNI and Polri to eradicate terror perpetrators in the Central Sulawesi region. Radicalism, terrorism, said Prof. Zainal, are enemies of the state that cannot be allowed to grow in the Republic of Indonesia, including in the Central Sulawesi region.

This is because radicalism and terrorism pose a real threat to the state, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and disturb the comfort and peace of the community.

"The acts of terror that they carried out in Parigi Moutong, in Sigi, and in Napu, Poso Regency were heinous, inhumane acts, which seriously injure humanity and harmony between humans and religions," said Zainal.

Therefore, he reminded all parties in the Central Sulawesi region to be aware of the spread of radicalism.

"Radicalism in Central Sulawesi is not only a da'wah movement, thought or ideology, but has reached the form of acts of terror. Even today, the MIT group still exists," said Prof. Zainal Abidin.

The professor at UIN Datokarama Palu explained that based on the results of a survey conducted by BNPT with Alvara Research and the Nazaruddin Umar Foundation, it showed that the trend of potential radicalism in Indonesia decreased, from 2017 at 55.2 percent or in the moderate category.

In 2019 it was 38.4 percent, the low category, and in 2020 it was 14 percent, which is the very low category.

"However, this does not have to make us complacent, let alone let our guard down, this decline in statistical data does not mean that radicalism will soon end," he said.

Zainal Abidin also invites all parties to unite against radicalism and terrorism, by not giving them space to develop.

"One of them is that we must optimize preventive measures, so that one death does not occur, one thousand grows. We must anticipate this together, therefore we need togetherness, solidarity, and uniting steps to counteract intolerance, radicals, terrorists," he also said.