Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The Wahid Foundation will collaborate with the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) in carrying out deradicalization programs in numerous areas across the country, especially in ex-conflict regions.
The foundation's director Yenny Wahid said they were scheduled to perform road shows in Ambon, Maluku, and Poso, Central Sulawesi, in which the latter would happen in September during the commemoration of World's Peace Day.
"We're planning to gather local figures to synchronize our perceptions and understandings on a strategy to curb radicalism in Indonesia," she said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The series of deradicalization programs varied depending on the targets, Yenny said. For example, former terrorists would share their repentance with mosque congregations, celebrities would be the deradicalization ambassadors to the youth and an economic approach would be taken at the grassroots level.
The involvement of former terrorists is a key to a successful deradicalization program especially in directing people not to go astray in interpreting Islamic teachings. "They can give testimonies and convince people not to take and get trapped in wrong choices," Yenny said.
Involving former "big fish" terrorists also will make it more likely for former allies, who studied about radical teachings from Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, to join and open themselves up, and to repent from radicalism. (ags)