BNPT: Due To Lack Of Picnics, People Can Be Exposed To Radicals

Director of Prevention of the National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Brigadier General Pol. Ahmad Nurwakhid. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Director of Prevention of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Brigadier General Pol. Ahmad Nurwakhid said, people can be exposed to radicals because they don't have a picnic so they don't understand the meaning and essence of differences, are not tolerant of diversity, differences which are sunnatullah.

"This must be understood together. Relevant to this, the artistic and cultural approach is important because with art and culture spirituality will rise in religious life," said Brigadier General Pol. Ahmad Nurwakhid in Magelang, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, June 1.

Police Brigadier General. Ahmad Nurwakhid said this at the Pelangi Cinta Nusantara event in welcoming the Birthday of Pancasila at the Tri Bhakti Building, Magelang City.

He conveyed that radical terrorism is a reflection of the crisis of spirituality in religion and nation. They emphasize rituality and formal religious symbols but are weak in character, weak in morals, and weak in spirituality.

"Spirituality can rise if the heart is soft, if the heart is full of love, full of tolerance," he said.

To build a soft heart, tolerance, spirituality, respect for others who are different, he said, it is relevant to organize activities like this, namely building spirituality, religious moderation, and building insight into the archipelago through an approach to the arts and culture of the archipelago.

Ahmad appreciated the Pelangi Cinta Nusantara event, which performed arts and culture, recitals of the archipelago, a declaration of peace, and cultural gatherings.

According to him, talking about terrorism cannot be separated from radicalism or extremism in international terms.

"Radical understanding and extreme understanding are what animate acts of terrorism. So, it can be said that all terrorists must have radical ideas, although not all who are exposed to radical ideas automatically become terrorists," he said.

It was also said that this matter must be underlined and more importantly, it has nothing to do with radicalism and terrorism with any religion, because there is no single religion that justifies it.

However, he said, this is related to religious ways and religious understandings that are wrong and deviate from religious persons and usually, this is dominated by religious people who make up the majority in a region or a country.

"Incidentally, Indonesia is a Muslim majority, so the terrorists we arrested, we processed the Muslim ID cards. I don't dare say Islam because the Islam that I understand, which I believe is very noble, is very high," he said.