Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesia is currently seeking cooperation with a number of Islamic countries to reduce the threat of terrorism, a national security official said.

"We are considering cooperation with countries like Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in implementing a ’re-radicalization’ program," Ansyaad Mbai, the head of the annti-terrorism desk of the office of the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, told  ANTARA here on Tuesday.

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Speaking after attending a meeting between Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS and Kuwaiti Ambassador to Indonesia Fadel Khalaf, he said the program was already being carried out in a number of other countries, including Europe and the US.

The program was designed to improve people’s understanding about  true Islam, he said, adding that so far they (terrorists) often implement Islamic tenets such as "jihad" wrongly or in deviation from its true meaning.

He said jihad had so far been understood as fighting western countries, especially those supporting the US, Israel and Jews, using  extreme methods. "This is what we have to straighten out and neutralize," he said.

He said the use of the "hard power" approach in the fight against terrorism so far such as attacking countries considered to be harboring terrorists would only make terrorism spread further and more violent.

In view of that he said a more "civilized" or "soft power" approach was needed such as a religious approach as a way of de-radicalization.

He said the program had already worked though not yet optimally in the country. "In view of that we need to cooperate with several moderate Islamic countries to spread the true teachings of Islam," he said.

Among the cooperation program already considered are distribution of books on Islam, propagation training and exchange of information and experience. "We are studying all kinds of cooperation to find the most effective one so that the program can really help reduce the threat of terrorism,," he said. (ant/mad)