Lupa Kata Sandi? Klik di Sini

atau Masuk melalui

Belum Memiliki Akun Daftar di Sini


atau Daftar melalui

Sudah Memiliki Akun Masuk di Sini

Konfirmasi Email

Kami telah mengirimkan link aktivasi melalui email ke rudihamdani@gmail.com.

Klik link aktivasi dan dapatkan akses membaca 2 artikel gratis non Laput di koran dan Majalah Tempo

Jika Anda tidak menerima email,
Kirimkan Lagi Sekarang

Seeds of Radicalism

Translator

Editor

8 September 2016 16:36 WIB

Indonesian police officers guard a church compound following an attack during Sunday Mass in Medan, North Sumatra, Aug. 28, 2016. Police in the western Indonesian city said a would-be suicide bomber failed to detonate explosives in the packed church. AP/Binsar Bakkara

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A botched suicide bombing attempt at the St. Joseph Catholic church in Medan has stirred up concern, particularly because the young bomber was not affiliated with any terrorist group. To the police, the 17-year-old confessed he became an ISIS sympathizer after he learned about the notorious group while browsing the Internet at the Internet kiosk owned by his brother. 

He also learned online how to build the bomb because he was enthralled by ISIS leader Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi after reading briefly about his ideology. ISIS first appeared as a splinter group of Al-Qaida, as a more radical group that did not hesitate to kill anyone of different beliefs.

The Medan church terror sheds light on the scary reality that one does not have to be a terrorist to be a radical, unlike a common belief that terrorist groups are the source of the spread of radicalism. According to the National Counterterrorism Agency, the youth was the first 'lone wolf' bomber without links to any terror network.

The telltale sign of this new trend was recorded by the Wahid Foundation, which conducted a survey in April and May of this year interviewing 1,520 respondents throughout Indonesia. It concluded that 7.7 percent of respondents supported radicalism, while an astounding 49 percent of Muslims exhibited intolerant attitudes towards those who held different beliefs and only a meager 0.6 percent expressed tolerance. 

They found lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT) most loathsome. Intolerance born out of contempt towards those who are different are seeds of radicalism. Nowadays, one can easily spot hate speech on the social media. Ethnic, religious and racial slurs have become commonplace. The survey also measured radical attitudes through the indicator of a willingness to donate to groups that advocate for Islamic law, to convince others to follow their path and to approve attacks on worship places of other faiths. 

Being a teenager, the Medan church bomber could still be emotionally unstable thus susceptible to influence, but how about groups such as the Aliansi Cinta Keluarga (Family Love Alliance), a group of professors and other learned people who proposed a judicial review to the Constitutional Court so that LGBTs can be punished? From the Wahid Foundation's survey, someone's level of education and income have little to do with intolerant attitudes. 

Intolerant respondents claimed their views were influenced by religious lectures on TV, in mosques and the words of clerics. Freedom of opinion and intolerance, it seems, are two sides of the same coin called democracy. 

The alarming survey result should attract serious attention from the government. The most practical way to counter this is by strengthening the foundation of individual logic. As schools and campuses are also hotbeds for radicalism, their curriculum should be designed so that these breeding grounds do not become more fertile. 

Education on moral and ethics should be intensified to foster logical reasoning. Strong ethics will give birth to an open attitude towards differences amid freedom and the extremely rapid information flow of this era. 

Indonesia must be innovative and ingenious in uprooting the seeds of radicalism that are scattered around us so that democracy that guarantees the rights of many people can flourish. (*)

Read the full story  and The Wahidin Institute survey results in this week edition of Tempo English Magazine



Election Fraud in a Neighboring Country

8 jam lalu

Election Fraud in a Neighboring Country

Seven members of the Kuala Lumpur PPLN are proven to have inflated the number of voters for the 2024 elections.


Because the State Is Not an Entrepreneur

1 hari lalu

Because the State Is Not an Entrepreneur

The government plans to accelerate the privatization of state-owned enterprises. Stop paying out budget funds for state companies.


Ignoring the Rights of Indigenous People

2 hari lalu

Ignoring the Rights of Indigenous People

Indigenous people are taking legal action against the President and the DPR for delaying deliberations of a bill. It has taken second place to the int


BTN Syariah's Acquisition of Bank Muamalat

6 hari lalu

BTN Syariah's Acquisition of Bank Muamalat

The government is to combine BTN's Sharia business unit with Bank Muamalat. This could lead to problems.


Lackadaisical Disaster Mitigation

7 hari lalu

Lackadaisical Disaster Mitigation

Hydrometeorological disasters hit a number of areas in Indonesia. Ironically, mitigation efforts are not yet a priority.


Child Pornography Syndicate in Indonesia

8 hari lalu

Child Pornography Syndicate in Indonesia

The crime of child pornography is continuing to spread. Perpetrators can operate from inside the jail.


Jokowi's Hand in the Golkar Party

9 hari lalu

Jokowi's Hand in the Golkar Party

Jokowi has ambitions to take control of the Golkar Party. It is his new way to stay relevant to those in power.


The Backers of Illegal Tin Mining

12 hari lalu

The Backers of Illegal Tin Mining

The Attorney General's Office is investigating alleged corruption over tin mining permits in Bangka Belitung.


The Importance of the Right of Inquiry

13 hari lalu

The Importance of the Right of Inquiry

Jokowi is taking Indonesia right back to the start of the Reformasi era. The right of inquiry could be a way to save democracy.


Funding for the Hasty Free Lunch Program

14 hari lalu

Funding for the Hasty Free Lunch Program

Jokowi and his ministers begin tinkering with the budget for the free lunch program. It is not appropriate and highly risky.