Radicalism is a cancer that is slowly devouring our nation. From attacking churches to more recently breaking up wayang performances, radicals are, in the name of Islam, targeting all segments of society with no fear of the repercussions.

The violence perpetuated by the hard-liners is spreading, unopposed by the police. It's a damning indictment of the state of the nation. That the cancer is growing is clearly illustrated by the rising tide of antagonism against minority groups in the country. The trials of the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) in Bekasi, which has been twice evicted, its members stabbed and beaten, is a sad reflection on how both the government and the silent majority have abdicated their responsibility.

Now for the first time, Vice President Boediono has highlighted the danger radicalism poses to Indonesian society in a speech to open the "Global Peace Leadership Conference 2010," organized by the Nahdlatul Ulama. He noted that radicalism is a real threat with the potential to lead to the disintegration of Indonesian society. Those are strong words and they should be heeded.

The vice president was also on the mark by noting that in certain cases, democratic space and freedom of expression had been abused by groups and individuals to create hostility and hatred against a particular religion. Although this is a global phenomenon, it is strongly manifested on our shores.

In most cases, the radicals are a small but vocal minority. Their intransigence and willingness to use violence, however, propels their cause to the forefront and into the national media spotlight.

The vice president is correct in noting that the silent majority, which makes up civil society, must reject the radicals in its midst and unmask them for what they are. As a society and as a nation, we must totally oppose these radicals and ensure that they have little room to maneuver.

The government, however, must also take strong and direct steps against the spread of radicals. Countries such as Pakistan have already shut down religious schools that preach hatred and promote violence. We must do the same here. The only way we will eradicate radicalism is if we show zero tolerance toward it and make it crystal clear that violence will not be accepted.

This must also flow through our democratic process. Politicians who embrace radical groups should be thrown out of office. If senior police officials fail to respond to violence perpetrated against minority groups, there should be a public investigation. The bottom line is that radical groups and those who harbor or protect them must be made to feel that they are pariahs in our society and that the Indonesian people will not stand for such behavior.

We can still cut this cancer from our society but we have to act now before it is too late. The consequences of inaction are just too dire to contemplate.