The Role of Communities in Counterterrorism: A Study of Lembaga

Persahabatan Ormas Islam (LPOI) in Indonesia

Fauzia Gustarina Cempaka Timur

and Muhammad Suryadi

Universitas Padjadjaran

Indonesia Defense University

Keywords : Counterterrorism, Indonesia, LPOI, Communities, Government, State

Abstract : Terrorism, even though is still debated, is mutually agreed upon for the destruction and devastation that it

deliver. It has become a long overdue homework for states worldwide as it causes terror and fear amongst

their people. Counterterrorism efforts have been conducted through deployment of armed forces and other

relevant government bodies. However, states should consider alternatives, such as engaging communities in

combating terrorism. In order to effectively eradicate terrorism, the people must also actively take part. In

particular, Indonesia has been combating terrorism for decades. The government of Indonesia has been

encouraging and engaging societies and communities in joining the counterterrorism efforts. Amongst them

is the Lembaga Persahabatan Organisasi Islam (LPOI). LPOI itself is an Islamic community-based agency

that seeks to promote a moderate and tolerant Islam. This study aims to analyze the role of LPOI as a

community in counterterrorism efforts in Indonesia. The research is a qualitative methodology with a

qualitative approach. The results show that LPOI has played a strategic role in Indonesia’s counterterrorism

efforts. Not only LPOI have the initiative to do it, they also have the willingness to cooperate and share

common goals with the state. Nonetheless, LPOI is widely praised for the role they played in Indonesia’s

counterterrorism efforts. They are excellent examples on how communities can contribute in combating

terrorism.

1 INTRODUCTION

Terrorism in Southeast Asia has been existed as a

classic security concern for most of countries, yet it is

not necessarily to be associated with Islamic

extremism. Numerous organizations of different

colors and ideological persuasions have expressed

their political dissent through the use of violence

whether directed against the state, rival communities

or innocent civilians. The anti-colonial movements

that strive in the past as well as movements for self-

determination, autonomy and national liberation have

at one time or another been labeled terrorist by the

authorities and regimes they challenged. There is no

doubt that in terms of events on the past three to five

years, some datas have shown a decline in the threat

of global terrorism but the rise of various forms of

international crime (Gunaratna, n.d.). In many places,

piracy also tends to decline, except in the Horn of

Africa (Somalia), which during 2009-2010

constitutes 50-60 percent of piracy worldwide. But

the decline of global terrorism is accompanied by an

increasing use of insurgent and insurgent terrorism.

However, in the current context of the world, there

seems to be an association of the labelling the concept

of terrorism in Southeast Asia with Islamic militancy,

radicalism or "Political Islam". Most notably the 2002

Bali attacks, which left over 200 dead. Other groups

like Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, and the Moro

Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have had an

enduring violent presence in the region. This situation

has been worsen by the recent chaotic caused by ISIS

in Syriah and Iraq, followed by the establishment of

ISIS in Southeast Asia which lead multiple radical

groups and clerics across Southeast Asia mostly in

the Philippines and Indonesia declared allegiance to

the newly formed caliphate. From a statistical

standpoint, there seems ample cause to worry;

recent Pew polling indicated that some 11 percent of

Malaysians are sympathetic to the ISIS cause.

Although Southeast Asians represent only a fraction

of foreign ISIS fighters, nearly 800 Southeast Asians

are estimated to be in Iraq and Syria supporting ISIS,

enough that ISIS stood up a group Katibah Nusantara

to help integrate Southeast Asians into ISIS ranks

(Greer and Watson 2016).

Timur, F. and Suryadi, M.

The Role of Communities in Counterterrorism: A Study of Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas Islam (LPOI) in Indonesia.

DOI: 10.5220/0010274700002309

In Proceedings of Airlangga Conference on International Relations (ACIR 2018) - Politics, Economy, and Security in Changing Indo-Paciﬁc Region, pages 167-175

ISBN: 978-989-758-493-0

167

In responding the root causes of terrorism, most

of states have put their concern through two main

approaches, known as hard and soft approach. On the

one hand, the hard approach involves physical

engagements which cripple destructive plans by

terrorists, such as suicide bombing and bombings.

Through the legislative, judiciary and executive arms

of the state, the modern state uses methods such as

arrest, surveillance, intelligence and detention

conducted by its secuirty party that mainly handled

by police to cripple damaging initiatives by terrorists.

However, for certain cases in several countries

military’s role also being involved under some

considseration according to its constition. Yet, the

hard approach that involves imprisonment, death, and

deterrence, are not considered as paths to long-term

peace.

On the other hand, The soft approach attempts to

debase terrorist ideology through a counterterrorism

act that more focus on countering ideology discourse

against radical ideologies which encourage political

violence. Through the soft approach, the

optimalization of Muslim organizations and relevant

government bodies could debunk terrorist’s ideology

of hate and violence. The soft approach however has

enlighted the idea of countering terrorism by

engaging the communities with its unique that may be

seen as an alternative approach directed into society’s

environment.

One reason is that Islam is not just a personal faith

or religion but a comprehensive moral and ethical

philosophy with prescriptions regarding law and the

functions of a state. Thus, Muslim peoples the world

over tend to have a keen sense of politics and of

international brotherhood that can unite them for

common causes or against perceived common

enemies or challenges. Indonesia as the most

populous muslim country has become the main actor

and role model in countering terrosim in Southeast

Asia. The precense of Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas

Islam (LPOI) in Indonesia that established in 2011 on

the basis of faith or ukuwah islamiyah as well as

nationalism or wathaniyah.

Aileen San Pablo-Baviera on his article Southeast

Asian Perspectives on the War against Terror

analyzed that common ASEAN position on terrorism

stands only on unfirm ground at this point, although

there is a strong common interest in minimizing

challenges from Islamic militants and much

justification for cooperation along this line. His

reserach focused on the attitudes of various Southeast

Asian governments and peoples towards the US-led

anti-terror coalition that shaped not only by the

common interest in fighting terrorism, but have to

take into consideration the negative perceptions and

mistrust of the United States.

Kumar Ramakrishan on his writing "The

Southeast Asian Approach" to Counter-Terrorism:

Learning from Indonesia and Malaysia insisted at the

outset being implemented in Southeast Asia is

bottom-up, thus strategic perspective capable of

better understanding important indigenous and local

factors is more likely to effectively neutralize Islamist

terror networks in Southeast Asia. In fact, the article

has sought to revamp the US National Strategy. This

article suggests that the 4D approach is at the

conceptual level superior to the current 4D approach

because in essence the Islamist terror threat in

Southeast Asia is a microcosm of the wider challenge

posed by al-Qaeda and other new offshoots.

Countering Terrorism or 4D Strategy in light of

Southeast Asian conditions. (Ramakrishna 2005).

Through this research, the strategic role of LPOI

as an Islamic organization in Indonesia will be further

explore as a soft approach to counterterrorism inside

local communities. Indonesia as the most Muslim

populous country has a unique condition, where hard

approaches that conducted through physical method

or the implementation of municipal law will not be

effectively targeting the root of problems in society.

LPOI that united by 14 big Islamic organization

somehow will play an important role to help

government working on untouchable aspects that

have not been covered through government programs.

2 THE EVOLUTION OF

TERRORISM IN SEA AND ITS

IMPLICATION TO INDONESIA

Between the mid-1960s and the mid-1990s, the

number of fundamentalist movements of all religious

affilitaions tripled worldwide. Simzultaneously, there

has been a virtual explosion of identifiable religious

terrorist group from none in 1968 to today’s level,

where nearly a quarter of all terrorist groups active

throughout the world are predominantly motivated

by religious concern (Hoffman 1993). Unlike their

secular counterparts, religious terrorists are, by their

very nature, largely motivated by religion, but they

are also driven by day-to-day practical political

considerations within their context-specific

evironement. Nowhere is this more clear than in

Muslim terrorist groups, as religion and politics

cannot be seperated in Islam. The growth of the

religious terrorism in also indicative of the

transformation of contermporary terrorism into a

ACIR 2018 - Airlangga Conference on International Relations

168

method of warfare and the evolution of the tactics and

techniques used by various groups, as a reaction to

vast changes within the local, religional and global

environment over the last three decades (Ranstorp

2012). Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network, that

are known or alleged to have ties to the Al Qaeda

network, Khatibah Nusantara, Abu Sayyaf Group,

Maute’s Brother, many of these groups threaten

thestatus quo of the region by seeking to create

independent Islamic states in majority-Muslim areas,

overthrow existing secular governments, and/or

establish a new supra-national Islamic state

encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the

southern Philippines, and southern Thailand.

In Thailand, while the scale and scope of Islamist-

inspired violence in the three southern Malay

provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat have

become more acute since 2004. In the Philippines,

Moro Muslim extremism has declined markedly since

its high point in the 1990s and early 2000s (Peter

Chalk, Angel Rabasa, William Rosenau 2010). The

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Misuari Breakaway

Group (MBG) both remain factionalized with the

bulk of their existing cadres mostly confined to

isolated pockets across the Sulu archipelago. Their

existence in Marawi, Southern Philippines became

more highlighted aftermath ISIS declared their

mission to establish its base in Southeast Asia and the

rise of Battle of Marawi.

The situation in Indonesia is somewhat more

fluid. On the one hand, the latent threat posed by

Islamist radicalism has patently declined since 2000,

reflecting both more effective CT actions on the part

of the police and widespread popular opposition to

militant groups whose attacks have

disproportionately affected Muslim interests (Peter

Chalk, Angel Rabasa, William Rosenau 2010) . On

the other hand, a significant minority of the

Indonesian muslim population expressed a desire for

some form of fundamentalist Islamic political order,

which under certain situation could trigger a

resurgence of support for extremist jihadism if the

government unable maintain the situation. Besides,

the growing threat of foreign terrorist fighters

occurrence posed a series of problems for Indonesia.

Foreign Terrorist Fighters phenomenon in

Indonesia is growing after the emergence of ISIS.

This is due to the internal and external factors;

internal factors based on the Indonesian public

ignorance about the real situation in Syria or Iraq,

they only see the movement propaganda carried out

by international terrorist networks via the internet and

other social media. As well as the internal condition

of Indonesia where some of the foreign fighters

suffered minimal economic conditions and expect a

sizeable income that is lured by the international

terrorism network. Then external factors, where

foreign fighters have a shortage of human resources,

it can be seen from quite a number of Syrian and Iraqi

people who choose to do immigration to other regions

such as Europe, America and Asia. This is because

they have been directly determining what has been

done by the ISIS members in the territory of Syria and

Iraq.

The threat environment in Indonesia also has

direct relevance for transnational terrorism in

Southeast Asia through the development of

Informations and Technology, whereby the terrorist

could communicate among them through secured

internet connection. Although some of the network

has been seemed weakened by the arrests of several

leading midlevel commanders, death penalty upon the

terrorist, yet some recent incidents in Mako Brimob

Depok, Surabaya, and Riau have demonstrated a

proven capacity that the terrorist group will adapt and

will probably never be fully expunged in terms of its

ideology. In Indonesia, the terrorist attacks that tend

to occur are mostly conducted by lone wolf terrorist.

Lone wolf terrorism begins with a combination of

personal and political grievances which form the

basis for an affinity with online sympathizers (Hamm

and Spaaj 2015). The threat exposed form lone wolf

terrorism happened from the loose of managing

individual security that vulnerably contaminated with

radicalization. It needs to be noticed that, all those

lone wolves attacks were conducting everyday items

like cars and knives and/or scissors that hard to

prevent yet easiliy to be manipulated. It is further

more followed by the identification of an enabler, as

well as by the broadcasting of terrorist intent. Those

phenomenons assert that the terrorist attack can also

occur without any command and control from the

main base, that shows nowadays terrorism activity

have evoluted to be more unpredictable.Through the

explanation above the picture for terrorism in

Southeast Asia remains dynamic and concerning, but

there are positive signs that Southeast Asian

governments are treating the issue with increasing

seriousness and diligence(Fisman and Miguel 2007).

3 WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE:

THEORETICAL

PERSPECTIVES

As the huge challenge faced by Indonesian

government to counterterrorism, the state actors could

The Role of Communities in Counterterrorism: A Study of Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas Islam (LPOI) in Indonesia

169

not work alone by themselves. The spread out

network of terrorism and its ideology that covered

islamic thought have effortlessly adopted by people.

The globalization has brought the efficiency of

information through social media that can be accseed

by anyone, the case nowadays is more acute when the

terrorism has lurked into educational institution

targeting youth whose their knowledge of religion

and terrorism are easily to be blurred. For instance,

the case of two young ladies who came to helped their

terrorist friends in Mako Brimob, Depok has shown

an alert towards educational institution to carefully

manage its internal systems at the very low level.

The establihment of Lembaga Persahabatan

Ormas Islam (LPOI) initiated to extend the role of

government into unreachable level that probably

untouched by counterterrorism programms. LPOI is

consisted of 12 Islam organization in Indonesia, such

as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Syarikat Islam Indonesia

(SII), Persatuan Islam (PERSIS), Al Irsyad Al

Islamiyyah, Mathlaul Anwar, Al-Ittihadiyah,

Persatuan Islam Tionghoa Indonesia (PITI), Ikatan

DA’I Indonesia (IKADI), Azzikra, Al-Washliyah,

Persatuan Tarbiyah Islamiyah (PERTI), dan

Persatuan Umat Islam (PUI). Its startegic roles as part

community is believed will create a significant impact

to local’s insight towards the terrorism religious

based group.

In particular, there are at least two largest muslim

organizations that exist in Indonesia within its well

known reputation even globally. Those organizations

are widely known as the reformist (Muhammadiyah)

and the traditionalist (Nahdlatul Ulama). The

reformist group also known as Muhammadiyah is

viewed to have more concern into a series of

movements that seek to reform religious life by the

purge of various mystical, superstitious, and

supernatural aspects possessed, trusted and practiced

by local communities. Muhammadiyah considered

that these beliefs that have been uphold for years by

local communites are unclear and not proven

references and religious bases. The worship activities

conducted by reformist groups are having

tendencious to be more puritanical and does not

involve the sunnah rituals as being practiced

frequently by the traditionalists. The reformist group

initiate to bring Islam in Indonesia back according to

Al-Quran and Al-Hadith compare with the reading

and/or believing that obtained from the classical texts

of Islamic law (fqih) or the science of Sufism.

Muhammadiyah also rejected scholastic or academic

traditions that introduced in the pre-modern Islamic

era, yet weighed more on rational interpretation of the

Al-Quran and Al-Hadith. The reformist group also

tends to be wary of too much rationalism and

contextualism, and over time, many modernist groups

have turned their backs from modernist rationalists

into writing sources and reform of puritanism. In

terms of education practice, the reformist groups are

more likely to believe in a Western-style education

model than the pesantren model, which is because

reformist groups tend to place themselves in the

middle and lower classes (Bruinessen 2013). The

establishment of Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas

Islam (LPOI) that is not followed by Muhammadiyah

has somehow give rise to a question that is not being

aswered even by the

leader of LPOI.

National Agency for Combating Terrorism

(BNPT) as the leading sector of counterterrorism in

Indonesia also appreciates the presence of LPOI.

During its work, BNPT program focuse on top-down

strategy, where BNPT placed its self as state

representative. While the target of the program who

is society need to be treated not only as an object, yet

it needs special attention in order to stem the flow of

radicalism. This approach is later transformed into a

bottom-up strategy by positioning society not merely

as an object but also as a subject of deradicalization,

counter-radicalization, counter-propaganda and

disengagement (Ruth, 2010). Inline with the idea of

positioning society as the aim, one of reasons

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) created NU Online as the

media for religious leaders and youth is to share

knowledge and information in cyberspace,

particularly on terrorism issues. The intiative of

creating NU online is aimed to balancing the

radicalism and terrorims propaganda that massively

active in cyberspace. Through this idea, any negative

content of terrorism in cyberspace could be

immediately responded by using the truthfully

Islamic perspective, otherwise more than 50 percent

or approximately 143 million people of indonesian

internet users are potentially be influenced (Bohang

2018).

ACIR 2018 - Airlangga Conference on International Relations

170

Table 1 : Islamic Organizations Approach in Indonesia (Source: (Wahid 2009) Ilusi Negara Islam : Ekspansi Gerakan Islam

di Indonesia).

Accommodative

Approach

Puritanical

Approach

Politicize

Approach

Radical

Approach

Group Traditionalis

Revivalist/Modernis

Pra

matis

Extremis

Islamic Roles Cultural Intellectual Politic/Social Radical

Theological Position

Deep

understanding of

Al-Quran/Hadith

through Syafi’I

School of

Thou

hts

Return everything to

Al-Quran/Hadith and

Not Apply the

Difference in Islamic

School of Thoughts

State should

be Ruled by

Al-

Quran/Hadith

Al-

Quran/Hadith

seen as one

base for all

rules

Cultural Acceptance Accepting Reforming

Rejecting/

Acceptin

Total

ection

Organizations NU Muhammadiyah

Hizbut Tahrir

Indonesia

Jamaah

Ansharut

Tauhi

The table above shown the difference approaches

conducted by Islamic organization that divided into

four approaches. The organizations as mentioned

above, such as the reformist and the tradionalits are

the organizations that frequently and coorporatively

working with government to counterterrorism.

Synergizing along with Ministry of Religion through

numerous programs, LPOI is expected could increase

the quality of religiousity in Indonesia. For instance,

LPOI could be involved in the education development

at Islamic Moderat related with islamic thought and

civilization.

Indonesian President, Joko Widodo said that his

administration would work more closely with

moderate Muslim organizations in an effort to prevent

radicalization in a country with the world's largest

Muslim population (Parlina 2015). He further stated

that moderate Islamic groups indeed played important

roles in promoting tolerance and could serve to

counter to radicalism. Today’s challange for LPOI is

to counter the issue that mainly carried by terrorist

grop such as Al Qaeda and ISIS in the name of

resisting world unfairness under west domination.

The issue that they struggling for, such as the

Palestine’s freedom is the key point to attract either

the sympathy and empathy of indonesian people,

particularly the youth, as it is easy to be attributed the

emotional of muslim in Indonesia.

The influence of radical thoughs from Al-Qaeda

and ISIS that has been spread out to numerous groups

in Indonesia, need to be responded effectively

particularly on the idea khilafah Islamiyah, jihad, and

also takfiri. First, Khilafah Islamiyah: both Al

Qaedah as well as ISIS consider that khilafah

islamiyah is the only islamic political system that

must be implemented, while other political systems

are considered as kafir. However, there is a

fundamental difference between those group where

Al Qaeda khilafah islmaiyah is remained as a political

discourse, while ISIS has procalimed it in earlier

years .However, several Islamic organizations that

also being part of LPOI declared that the political

system of Indonesia based on Pancasila is form of

ijtihad, thus other political systems included khilafah

islamiyah are no more necessary needed.

Second, Jihad: Al Qaeda and ISIS defined jihat in

a narrow meaning within term of war or violence.

While in terms of persuasively, jihad that has been

defined as education, dakwah, and other social

activites are not considered as part of jihad. However,

the idea of jihad that being introduced by those groups

is diametrical , different with the majority of islamic

leaders in Indonesia where they defined jihad as an

act of against lust (nafsu). The massive provocation

that has been provoked by the extremist groups are

spreaded by using the idea of jihad as war combined

with the facts of global issue as well as some surah

quoted from Al-Quran has become an effective

weapon for terrorist group in gaining support from

certain parties. Third, Takfiri: either Al Qaeda and

ISIS hold their beilief that any human beings who are

not part of their group being considered as kafir. In

addition, according to Al Qaeda and ISIS’s belief, any

human beings who have been classified as kafir is

allowed to be murdered even if the victims are also

muslim. Yet, there has been an exception according

to their law, that the victims can be relased free if they

are agree to pay tribute (jizyah) in certain amount.

The Role of Communities in Counterterrorism: A Study of Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas Islam (LPOI) in Indonesia

171

4 CIVIL SOCIETY

ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST

VIOLENT EXTREMISM

ACTIVITY

Civil society organizations are considered as

organizations outside the state, independent, and

independent. (Diamond 2000) Civil society

organizations usually have a concern for the public

interest. There five characteristics of civil society

organizations with profit-oriented organizations and

government organizations, namely civil society

organizations having interests in the public interest,

not power-oriented, fighting for pluralism and

diversity, representing the public interest as a whole

(Suharko 2011) . Religious organizations are part of

civil society organizations that citizens participate

voluntarily in order to fight for their interests, ideas

and ideologies. Furthermore, the UN mentioned a

number of organizations or associations categorized

as civil society organizations, namely professional

associations, social movements, indigenous

community organizations, religious organizations,

and academic organizations.

In Indonesia, Islamic extremism has emerged as

an increasingly salient threat since the demise of the

Soeharto regime in 1998 (Peter Chalk, Angel Rabasa,

William Rosenau 2010). Specifically, a dramatic

reawakening of atavistic Muslim identity has

combined with a more fluid domestic environment to

dangerously increase and radicalize popular

sentiment across the states. This however has helped

to foster the establishment of a newer generation of

jihadist movements in many forms dedicated to the

formation of a fundamentalist order in Indonesia

and/or a wider caliphate in Southeast Asia.

According to the data of Direktorat Jenderal

Kesatuan Bangsa dan Politik (Kesbangpol) Ministry

of Home affairs, in 2010 the total of local

communites (Ormas) dan non governmental

organizations (LSM) in Indonesia has reached 100

thousand organizations. Ministry of Home Affairs

added that the increasing of number of the

organizations have brought positive impact,

particluarly in regious aspect, education aspect,

health dan medical aspects, as well as environmental

aspect.

Indonesia, as the world's largest Muslim-majority

country, has many faith-based, faith-based, mass-

based organizations, and political organizations based

on religion. Understanding that simplifies these

organizations to moderate and radical often fails to

represent the diversity of Islamic organizations in

Indonesia. Islamic organizations in Indonesia can be

grouped into several main categories. In non-political

mass organizations, there are two groups of Muslim-

based societies that are large and deeply rooted in

Indonesian society, namely Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)

and Muhammadiyah. Both of these organizations had

stood before Indonesian independence and had a

significant role in the struggle for independence and

reform. After the fall of Soeharto, the two groups

contributing to these reforms played an important role

in integrating democratic education into their school

curriculum and universities, influencing policy

makers on religious freedom issues, and supporting

free and fair elections.

Both Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have

achieved a deeper level of social penetration

compared to other faith-based organizations in

Indonesia. The two organizations are run and led by

people elected by their members at the local,

provincial and national levels. Both organizations

have various sub-organizations in various layers of its

members, such as youth organizations, women,

students, and intellectuals. Both also provide various

social services to their constituents, particularly in the

areas of education, health care, and charity to address

various social issues. In addition, the issues of

religious nature in Indonesia, such as determining the

beginning and end of the fasting month, are also

influenced by both organizations. Based on some of

the above, we can categorize the Islamic

organizations of Nahdlatul Ulama and

Muhammadiyah as civil society organizations.

However, the leader of Lembaga Persahabatan

Ormas Islam (LPOI) believe that an effective

approach that neccessary to be done is to stem the

support of local communites towards the terrorist

groups. Steming the support is furhter conducted by

gaining heart and mind of local communities in

Indonesia. Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas Islam

(LPOI) realizes that to objectify an moderate Islam

that full of tolerance for human beings only can be

done through peaceful way, not on other way where

Islam is considered as extreme, radical, or religion of

terrorist. Said Aqil the leader of Pengurus besar

Nahdalatul Ulama (PBNU) asserted that the huge

challenge faced by most of muslim in Indonesia is

poverty, approximately 64 percent of Indonesian

muslim are living in poor (Nahaba 2011). He stressed

on the point of that to win their heart and mind so that

Indonesian muslim intergration can be uphold is by

restoring their needs social aspect, education aspect,

as well as walfareness and economy, there is no even

little space that this organization will bring or

promote political agenda. The neutral stance of

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172

Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas Islam (LPOI) in

Indonesia will somehow create a positive implication

towards local communites that may support the

suistainability of this organization.

5 THE FAILURE AND SUCCESS

OF CIVIL SOCIETY TO

COUNTER RADICALISM

According to (Schmid 2013),the role of counter-

radicalization strategy with the assistance of

community communities in networking, and

knowledge is to preventing cell-building and

radical recruitment. Counter radicalization is a

preventive program that aims to prevent the

community including among students in the

spread of radical ideas. The counter-

radicalization program is considered to be

related to the prevention of terrorism, since the

various acts of terrorism are caused by radical

religious backgrounds (Golose and Petrus 2009).

The approach of detection and detection is part

of a preventive effort, in which case the goal of

prevention is to stop acts of terrorism. The

counter-radicalization role of religion-based

organization from Schmid (2013) namely

counter-grievance role, counter-ideology role,

and counter-mobilization role (counter-

mobilization).

The indicator of success in the counter

mobilization strategy is to build cooperation with

other actors, such as religious organizations, civil

society and government in efforts to prevent

radicalism. Radicalism becomes the thing that

threatens the integrity of a nation. Therefore, it is

admitted that both NU and Muhammadiyah cannot

independently to stem the idea. They counter-

radicalize through their own approach and character,

but in their embodiments coordination and synergy

are required between them. This is where the National

Agency for Combating Terrorism (BNPT) as a

government agency that can coordinate and

synchronize all the different approaches. BNPT has

the authority to coordinate various approaches and

ways of other actors such as TNI / Polri and related

ministries so that the prevention of danger of

radicalism can achieve the desired goals to stem the

spread of radical ideology, NU and Muhammadiyah

have implemented a counter-mobilization role with

BNPT in the internet media. The counter-

mobilization strategy against radical group

propaganda in internet media conducted with BNPT

is by optimizing the role of Media Peace Center

(PMD).

The involvement of civil society in the handling

of terrorism is inseparable from the process of

security sector reform in the world. Civil society's

involvement becomes an emphasis on security issues.

Society is no longer regarded as a mere security

object but a subject that plays an important role in the

engagement (Crelinsten 2009).Terrorists are born,

alive, and grown in the fabric of society. For that

reason, the most appropriate way is to do a soft

approach, in which society is positioned as the front

guard in countering terrorism. This paradigm shift

brings a fresh breeze for counterterrorism efforts in

Indonesia. The involvement of civil society in

Indonesia is considered very effective in preventing

the development of radicalism and terrorism. Civil

society is expected to play an active role in countering

terrorism in Indonesia.

The presence of Islamic organizations in

Indonesia shows different ideals and beliefs that are

different from other organizations, which is the main

reason for the establishment of an organization based

on religion (Islam) in Indonesia is due to

dissatisfaction with the existing organization.

Differences and dissatisfactions between faith-based

organizations (Islam) in Indonesia are generally seen

from several differences such as differences in

tradition and organizational goals. However, it turns

out that frictions that occur between organizations are

not only visible from these differences, but also some

attitudes that show friction and division among faith-

based organizations (Islam) in Indonesia.

NU and Muhammadiyah became the spearhead to

counter the entry of radicalism and terrorism,

including the emergence of Islamic State in Iraq and

Syria or ISIS. Inside the community will occur

interaction between members of one community with

other members of society. The growth of interaction

between them will form a bond that is able to regulate

and provide dependence. Community bonding is what

can be said as a role. The researchers found that both

NU and Muhammadiyah have achieved a deeper level

of social penetration compared to other faith-based

organizations in Indonesia. The two organizations are

run and led by people elected by their members at the

local, provincial and national levels. Both

organizations have various sub-organizations in

various layers of its members, such as youth

organizations, women, students, and intellectuals.

Both also provide various social services to their

constituents, particularly in the areas of education,

The Role of Communities in Counterterrorism: A Study of Lembaga Persahabatan Ormas Islam (LPOI) in Indonesia

173

health care, and services to address various social

issues. In addition, the issues of religious nature in

Indonesia, such as determining the beginning and end

of the fasting month, are also influenced by both

organizations.

Even though Indonesia has involved civil society

organization to combat radicalism, but still found

some obstacles during the process. Several

complications occurred in the process are, first,

organizational coordination constraints. As the two

largest religious-based organizations (Islam),

coordination and communication in the NU and

Muhammadiyah bodies are often less effective,

especially horizontal communication and

coordination. Even though LPOI and BNPT are

already came into play but it there is still big gap in

doing communication between the organizations.

Second, the funding problem is still seen as one of

many problems on counter-radicalism in Indonesia.

Nonetheless, the organization has still spared some

budgets to maintain its counter-radicalism activity

despite the condition. Third, the constraints

associated with radical group militancy. The

persistence of radical groups in spreading their

ideologies through schools, religious activities to

school organizations is also a constraint faced by

LPOI and organizations under LPOI in performing its

role. The obstacle faced is the monitoring of radical

groups because the movement is very smooth and

even quiet. What the LPOI can do only fortifies

young people and activates each branch in order to

stem radical ideals. Based on these statements the

students are very vulnerable to face-to-face with

radical groups in various activities.

6 CONCLUSION

Terrorism has become a very serious threat to

countries around the world. The claims that the action

was a movement in the name of religion became part

of a campaign perpetrated by terrorists. This terrorism

campaign aims to create a support base from religious

community. Therefore, the campaign against

terrorism became an endless and difficult war to end.

The community’s involvement in responding the acts

of terrorism also determine the speed of campaigns

deployment conducted by terrorists. It has to be

realized that the should actively participate in various

activities of civil society organizations in the context

of counter-radicalization and society must realize that

terrorism and radicalism are our common problems

and threats that must be handled together.

Besides, the need for strengthening the

institutional capacity of faith-based organizations.

For LPOI, it is important to maintain and expand its

role as an education agent Islamic moderates,

empowering mosques, improving the quality of

human resources imams and religious leaders, so it

will eventually dispel the rate of growth of radicalism,

especially among high school students from the

central level to the branches. The government should

now think of a way to solve the problems faced by

LPOI and organizations within it in carrying out the

role of counter-radicalization, for example by

providing organizational management training as

well as supporting their facilities. Thus, the

government is no longer a passive, but stirring party

if needed. Another chance should also given to the

role and contribution of LPOI in counter-

radicalization, it is fitting for other civil society

organizations to start thinking about opportunities to

engage and start contributing. What has been done by

LPOI can be a model for other faith-based

organizations such as Muhammadiyah, Al Irsyad,

Persis, LDII, and so on.

Given the potential dangers of radicalism on the

Internet that threaten the national security of

Indonesia, the Coordinating Ministry of Law and

Human Rights need to mobilize relevant stakeholders

such as Intelligence institutions, BNPT, Ministry of

Communication and Information, Ministry of

Religious Affairs, Ministry of Defense and the

involvement of faith-based organizations such as NU

in implementing early detection for radicalism, as

well as the need for steadiness determination of the

government to implement guidance and blocking or

deletion of internet media that contain radicalism

includes sites that want to replace the ideology of

Pancasila and the shape of the country with Non-

violent way.

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