Former ISIS Sympathizers Received Entrepreneurship Training  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) held an entrepreneurship training for 15 former Islamic State (ISIS) sympathizers who were deported from Syria. They are Indonesian nationals who had lived in Raqqa that was occupied by ISIS.

“Three other are detained at the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarter for being involved in terrorist funding,” BNPT deradicalization director Irfan Idris told Tempo on Wednesday, October 25.

According to Irfan, the program is aimed at empowering the former ISIS sympathizers so that they can be financially independent.

“The BNPT did not allocate a budget, but we’re looking into their interests. If they want to learn sewing, they will be sent to tailor shops. If they want to open an online shop selling clothes, they will be coached,” he said.

He added that the BNPT has provided training for 600 former terrorism convicts and those who were exposed by radicalism. The program was initiated in collaboration with 32 ministries and institutions.

According to Irfan, the training will give hope to former terrorism convicts that they still have a future.

“Therefore, they will no longer need to go abroad committing terrorism acts, since the country is taking care of them,” he said.

Nur, one of the Indonesian nationals who was deported from Syria, said that she attended the training for two days. “We will be able to open a business and learn to become an entrepreneur,” she said.

She called on others not to be persuaded by promises made by ISIS. According to Nur, ISIS campaigns are against the Quran.

After witnessing ISIS ruthlessness, she and her family decided to walk out of Syria. “The Indonesian government helped us to come home. The BNPT also told us to seize the second chance to live normally,” she added.

IRSYAN HASYIM