Kiai Said: Radicalism prevention key amid rapid IT advancements

Lombok, NU Online
Radicalism prevention and terrorist deradicalization are key issues the country needs to focus on, particularly amid rapid advancements in communications and information technology, the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, KH Said Aqil Siradj, popularly known as Kiai Said, said.

“Advancements in IT have resulted in many people being easily provoked by radical and intolerant groups. We [NU] will discuss this issue in our national meeting,” he said on Thursday during the opening of the NU national meeting (Munas) and major conference (Konbes) in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), which ends on Saturday.

As reported by The Jakarta Post, radicalism and deradicalization were among 18 issues to be discussed in the meeting.

Kiai Said further stated that NU praised the government’s decision to issue the 2017 regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on mass organizations in July. Using the Perppu, authorities disbanded Muslim hard-line group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) for conducting activities that contradicted the state ideology, Pancasila, and Indonesian principles, he added.

Said explained that Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, had gained a positive reputation within the international community relative to other countries with large Muslim populations, such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, which have faced recent conflict.

He further said that NU fully supported the government’s decision to ban mass organizations labeled radical and prevent terrorism and intolerant groups from developing in Indonesia. (Masdar)