Long Road to Deradicalization

Apart from issues related to the use of violence and force, a number of other derivative issues are caused by terrorism.

KOMPAS

The suicide bombing at the Astanaanyar Sector Police Headquarters, Bandung on December 7, 2022, proves that deradicalization is not easy.

One of these issues concerns the children of terror convicts. Most such children are psychologically traumatized by the incidents they have experienced that involved their family members, especially their parents. Some witnessed their parents carry out suicide bombings, while others watched their parents be arrested by law enforcement.

This is the true story of Ais, the child of a family that carried out a suicide bombing attack in May 2018 in Surabaya, East Java. Ais, who was 8 years old at the time, survived the blast. Over time, Ais was placed in a social rehabilitation center in Surabaya, where it was determined that she was experiencing serious psychological impacts, including severe trauma (Kompasi.id, 13/2/2023).

In addition to bearing psychological burdens, the children of terror convicts also face economic issues. Apart from having to live without their parents, they are also often subject to stigmatization, making it difficult for them to rejoin society.

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> Double Burden Borne by Children of Terror Convicts

On the one hand, the state has not optimized its rehabilitation efforts. On the other, without appropriate treatment, the children’s early exposure to extreme ideologies and experiencing psychological trauma can lead them to become perpetrators of acts of terror (Kompas, 13/2).

A child who was convicted for their involvement in the 2016 bombing of Eikumene Church in Samarinda municipality, East Kalimantan, was unable to continue with formal schooling and found it difficult to find a job after their release from prison. A mother, IM (34), and her children, all under 10 years old, were nearly evicted by their neighbors from the area where they had settled, after her husband was arrested for his involvement with the Villa Mutiara terrorist network in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Citizens of various religions from various professions and backgrounds take part in the #KamiBersamaPOLRI solidarity action in front of the National Police Headquarters, South Jakarta, Thursday (10/5/2018).

Ultimately, we must save the children of terror convicts. They still have a long future ahead of them. If they had been exposed to radicalism, the state must initiate their deradicalization as soon as they are separated from their families or the outside actors that had provoked them.

We should be grateful that the public still accepts children of terror convicts. This gives us hope. The results of a Kompas poll showed that 44.6 percent of the respondents were willing to embrace and provide guidance to any children of terror convicts around them.

Also read: Terror and National Security

Meanwhile, 22 percent of respondents said they would treat them the same as other children. The respondents also demonstrated openness to the children of terror convicts, as the majority (68%) agreed that these children should attend public schools (Kompas, 13/2).

Combating terrorism must not focus on law enforcement alone, as the seeds of radicalism must have been planted before the acts of terror were carried out.

To anticipate the spread of radicalism, we must encourage campaigns for greater diversity and tolerance. The unitary state’s fundamental capital, which is supported by public acceptance of the children of terror convicts, should also serve as the capital for optimizing deradicalization efforts.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.