"From now on, we will revive the role of the terrorism eradication team to support the governments anticipatory, preventive and eradication measures," he told journalists after inaugurating the executive board of the MUI-West Java Chapter on Thursday.
The council had formed its terrorism eradication team in 2005, but it was dissolved after the government set up the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT). "We had conducted socialization programs at Islamic boarding schools in the past. But it was stopped after the team was dissolved," he said.
However, in response to the calls of various sections of society to revive the team, MUI decided to reactivate it, Maruf said, adding that the teams programs will not overlap with those of BNPT.
"Our main task is to prevent radicalism from growing and to rehabilitate those who have been radicalized by using a religious approach," he stated.
Maruf also said the Council had thanked the Indonesian president for the financial support he had allocated in the revised state budget because of which MUI has been able to take part in preventing and eradicating radicalism and terrorism from Indonesia.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
