Counter-Narrative Scenario to Prevent Terror

When a suicide bomb was detonated by Nur Rohman (30 y.o.) in Mapolresta (Local Police Headquarter) Surakarta (Solo), the discussion about terror, terrorist, and terrorism reappears. During the month of Ramadan 2016, ISIS, through its spokesman, Abu Mohammed Al Adnani, ordered its supporters to take "amaliyah" action in their respective areas.
Nur Rohman, member of JADKN (Jamaah Ansarut Khilafah Nusantara), a group affiliated with ISIS, had sacrificed his life to conduct suicide bombings. The question is why did it happen? How to prevent that?.

Background of Terror

Terrorist behavior is not present at birth. There is a specific process which makes a person radical and willing to impose violence to scare others in which such action is called terrorism.

A terror is usually done by a person or a group of people that is usually a small group to create fear for the larger groups by using violence. The reasons for a person or groups carrying out terror is that the terror is the most effective option to impose and achieve their goals.

The decision to choose terror rather than other action to realize the goals of the person or group derives from several things. First, terror is the most effective way to demonstrate the existence of a minority or marginalized groups. Second, terror mirrors and is the implications of the personality of the leader who leads a poor-managed organisation and it then becomes a group culture in general.

Third, it seems that the non-terrorist acts such as diplomacy are not successful or are often done but they did not work. Fourth, terror is carried out as the implications on the understanding of a doctrine or a teaching that violence is the only way to achieve their goals. It is mainly experienced by hardcore/radical groups with theological or political sentiment background thinking that the extreme differences with other groups are unacceptable and must be fought by them.

Some recent terror cases in Indonesia, such as the terrorist bombings in Thamrin, Jakarta, in early 2016 and the terrorist suicide bombing in Solo before 'Eid 2016, allegedly based on the radical ideology factor. Terror occurs because there is a radical understanding spread through radical narratives by the terror group either verbally, directly people to people, or by writings in books and printed media, and also through other media such as videos that are easily accessible on internet.
Nowadays, the information from the internet and media is used by terrorists to reinforce their action. The information presented by mass media become is the source of knowledge and building blocks of the strategy for the terrorists. It even contains techniques for conducting an attack.

The internet makes people could learn more easily and quickly to become a terrorist. Internet becomes a very effective medium for spreading the radical narratives, effective way for recruitment, and an effective tool to tutor how to do radical acts particularly a terror.

The Group Influence

The attacks are usually preceded by recruitment, cultivation of values or ideologies (doctrinal), and after the prospective agents have a strong confidence and militant loyalty then they arrange the acts of terrorism by adding some strategies. Within this small group, the potential perpetrators gain some understandings and doctrines that violence is a method to reach a goal.

To make the indoctrination easier, the terrorist groups choose young people whose ages are between 15 and 35 years who experience a wavering condition, identity crisis, even some turned out to be lack of religious understandings.

The above conditions facilitate the indoctrination of the use of violence to achieve objectives. Prospective candidates, who suffer identity crisis, can eventually have confidence that being the perpetrators of a terror is a form of heroism to fight for the values they believed.

The recruitment process of the radical group consists of stages as follows: it begins with tabligh (delivery of the message / advice in general), for example: Tabligh Akbar, reading Holy Quran, extra curriculum, etc., then ta'lim (teaching), tamrin (training), tamhish (selection), and bai'at (declaring allegiance as a requirement to be a member).

In the stages above, there is a systematic process of recruitment for the members of radical groups. Ta'lim and tamrin phase are the most likely-phase that are used to inculcate them with the attitude of hatred and violence against people who are considered enemies.

In conclusion, the radical behavior is inculcated by the organization as a doctrine that violence is the way to achieve the goal.

Scenarios

The Government needs to prepare and implement counter-narrative scenarios considering the narrative is one of the starting points of terrorism, and so that the radical narrative is not accepted outright by the community.

Counter- narrative scenarios must be more massive and have more powerful influence rather than the radical narrative accessible by the public. The core of the counter- narrative scenario is spreading the values of peace to all elements of community regardless of the group, ideology, or other boundaries.

One of the scenarios is normal scenario. It occurs in normal times in which people are invited to join the radical groups. The message was relayed through mass media. In this scenario, the government should mobilize the elements of community to conduct counter- narrative, for example by promoting peace. Counter- narrative is not only in the mass media but it can also be found everywhere and every time. With this step, the radical behavior will be excluded.

The next scenario is a scenario that is done only if the targets of this counter-narrative are specifically recorded, for example, a person, a community or an organization that has the potential to get involved in radicalism. This program should be preceded by mapping the target of counter radicalism, so it has a significant impact. The mapping of parties that can cooperate should also be done in order to facilitate BNPT (National Counter Terrorism Agency) and indirectly create a picture that radicalism is a common enemy. Counter-narrative, in this scenario, should not be done directly by BNPT but scholars, religious leaders, teachers, professors, or others who are close (private domain), trusted, and have an intense face-to-face communication with the target.

The third counter-narrative scenario is the scenario that is done against the persons, groups, or organizations whose close persons or members have been performing radicalism. This scenario has a high challenge because it is done to persons, groups, or organizations that already have a radicalism model.

This activity should be done intensively and continuously controlled so the influence of radicalism can be held. Counter-narrative, in this scenario, should be done simultaneously, and need the cooperation from the closest friends, families, scholars, religious leaders, government officials, and others who can be trusted and influential for the target. If the counter-radicalism narrative in this scenario is less powerful than radicalism narrative, then this scenario will fail.

Conclusion

Counter narrative strategy is done to prevent radical understandings in society. This program should be done not by BNPT's officers but the community. Counter radicalism narrative would be effective if both the target and the performers are right.

This program should involve the targets closest, the trusted person, or an influential person. If the counter-radicalism narrative is done by people who are able to access the target, then this program will be more effective. Counter-narrative scenario should not be project based but rather an activity that is grounded and fused with community activities.

The counter-terrorism program should be right on the target, done by the right people, and acceptable by the targets. This program should aim to change, and to stem the radicalism in society effectively, and to prevent the terror, so it does not happen again.***

*) Stanislaus Riyanta, Researcher and Editor in jurnalintelijen.net, Studying S2 Strategic Intelligence Studies at the University of Indonesia.