TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Hendardi, chairman of human rights advocacy group Setara Institute, said that terrorism is final result intolerance. Therefore, Hendardi called for intolerant behavior to be eliminated. “I invite all elements of society to continuously reject intolerance,” said Hendardi on Monday, January 18, 2016.
Bonar Tigor Naipospos, researcher of Setara Institute, said that intolerance can be divided into two categories: passive and active. “Passive intolerance means having intolerant minds, while active intolerance is an intolerant mind manifested through actions and behaviors,” said Bonar.
Bonar explained that there are stages where someone who has intolerant mind could turn into a terrorist, which include joining an extremist group, developing radical teaching, and committing acts of terror.
Bonar said those stages are not always in sequence and not everyone who is intolerant will turn out to be radical. Therefore, it is important to prevent intolerant acts from occurring in the society.
Setara Institute research director Ismail Hasani said that stages of transformation from someone intolerant to becoming a terrorist can be seen in Bahrun Naim, who is allegedly masterminded the recent attacks on Jalan Thamrin, Jakarta last Thursday, January 1, 2016. Ismail said that Bahrun Naim had went through the stages explained by Bonar earlier. “Becoming intolerant, dissatisfied, and then decided to be extreme, [developed] radical ideas, and then committed terror,” Ismail said.
Cultural observer Benny Susetyo said that failing to resolve intolerance issues will resulted in a repeating cycle of violence.
Diko Oktara
Source : Tempo.co