JAKARTA. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo asked for the help of Islamic groups on Friday in order to tackle the spread of radical ideology in Indonesia, in the wake of last month's terrorist attack in the capital city.
Jokowi met with representatives of the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the Islamic Dakwah Indonesia Institution (LDII) at separate times at the State Palace on Friday to discuss deradicalization programs.
NU executive council chairman Said Aqil Siradj said Jokowi asked the NU clerics to intensify preaching aimed at curbing the dissemination of radical teachings in Indonesia.
"The President asked us to always assert the issues of terrorism, radicalism and drugs in our preaching," Agil said as quoted by kompas.com.
The biggest Muslim organization has long preached about peaceful Islam and is involved in deradicalization programs throughout the country.
Deradicalization in Indonesia was important to prevent the escalation of tension between Sunnis and Shiites, as is occurring in the Middle East, taking place in Indonesia, Agil added.
Similarly, LDII chairman Abdullah Syam expressed the organization's support for deradicalization, saying it also strongly rejected radical ideology, terrorism and drug misuse.
"We are against everything that contradicts Pancasila [national ideology] and Islam's 'rahmatan lil alamin' [blessing for the universe]," he said as quoted by kompas.com.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan and Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin accompanied Jokowi when he received the visits from both organizations' representatives.
Luhut said Jokowi wanted to develop cooperation with Islamic community organizations to help the socialization of deradicalization and prevent drug misuse, as quoted by tempo.co, adding that Jokowi would invite other Islamic community organizations in the near future.
Government is strengthening the deradicalization programs after the terrorist attack in Jakarta last month that left eight people dead, four civilians and four terrorists, and injured dozens more. One of the dead terrorists had been sent to prison for terrorism acts in the past. (Erika Anindita)
