JAKARTA – Today’s story, five years ago, March 18, 2021, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam), Mahfud MD insisted that Islam is not a religion of terror. This narrative was brought up because all religions hate the agenda of terrorism.
Previously, acts of terrorism have often caused deep wounds to all Indonesian citizens. Those who commit acts of terror often carry the flag of Islam. This condition made the world see Islam as a religion of terror. A perspective rejected by many parties.
Terrorist activism is often the most feared thing in Indonesia. This is because terrorist activism often disrupts the entire country. The government is moving quickly to find the perpetrators of the terror. Citizens are also filled with fear. The image of Islam as a religion of peace is also damaged.
This is all because acts of terror often carry the flag of Islam. Many became terrorists because they misunderstood jihad. This condition makes people who join terrorist groups vulnerable, such as Jamaah Islamiyah to Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT).
The presence of this group can only harm the image of Islam as a religion of peace. Terrorist action reinforces the existing perception that Islam is a religion of terror. Let’s take the example of 2020.
Police members in hooligan uniforms photograph evidence against the backdrop of a terrorist suspect’s house in Nanggewer Kaum village, Cibinong, Bogor district, West Java, Saturday, May 18, 2019. (ANTARA FOTO/Arif Firmansyah)
The National Police Headquarters revealed that it had arrested 228 terrorist suspects from different regions of Indonesia throughout 2020. These arrests further strengthen the image of the terrorist group designated by Islam. This situation harms many parties.
This action then made many foreign tourists think twice about going to Indonesia. In fact, the group of ulama claimed that the terrorists had no religion. Islam is a religion of peace. Islam cannot do things to hurt its fellow human beings.
“The latest is the arrest of 23 terrorists from the JI (Jamaah Islamiyah) group in the name of Upik Lawangan and Zulkarnaen who have become DPOs for many years,” declared the head of the national police, General Idham Azis, as reported by the website tempo.co, on December 22, 2020.
The narrative of Islam as a religion of terror led Mahfud MD to speak out on March 18, 2021. The Minister of Police and Justice entertained the idea that Islam was a religion of terror because Islam was a religion of love and peace. Terrorist acts are considered to be written by only a few people.
Mahfud cites the example of the inhabitants of Indonesia, who are predominantly Muslim. Those who practice the Islamic religion reach 87 percent, while terrorists who call themselves Muslims are few in number. This means that people cannot directly draw the conclusion that Islam is a terrorist religion.
All religions hate terrorism, including Islam. All this so that people of all religions can live in harmony. The narrative of Islam as a religion of terror must also be stopped.
Mahfud also called on all believers in Indonesia to respect each other. He revealed that there was no need for hatred because of the difference of one religion.
“Islam is not a religion of terror. (The inhabitants) of Indonesia are 87 percent Muslim, but if there are terrorists who happen to be Muslim, it’s only a few people. Islam is a religion of peace,” declared Mahfud, as reported by the kumparan website, on March 18, 2021.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language.
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