Fight the IS Threat, But Protect Free Speech
By Endy M. Bayuni
April 02 2015
Yes, you can have it both ways. You can stop the spread of the violent ideology espoused by the Islamic State (IS) movement and keep free speech. In fact, the best way of fighting IS is by strengthening democratic governance and not by turning to undemocratic and repressive measures.
The government on Monday blocked 19 websites it claimed were spreading IS’ hateful and violent messages and recruiting Indonesians to join IS. Within 24 hours, the Communications and Information Ministry had unblocked the websites after a public outcry.
The damage to the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, however, has been done.
Some Muslim groups were quick to denounce the government as “anti-Islam”, a serious accusation that had also been leveled against Jokowi during the 2014 presidential election campaign. The accusation carried no substance, and the government should regain the hearts and minds of Muslims in no time, especially after it corrected its mistake.
But more serious and long-lasting is the damage done to the democratic credentials of President Jokowi’s government.
The ease with which the ministry complied with the National Counterterrorism Agency’s (BNPT) request to block the 19 websites shows a disturbing character of this government. When it comes to free speech, it does not think twice to deprive people of their basic rights in the name of national security.
Human rights campaigners have long entertained suspicions about the commitment of this government to freedoms and human rights. This week’s action strengthened their worst fears.
This time, hate speech and espousing the IS ideology are regarded as national security threats. Next, it could be anyone critical of the government. Before long, we are back to the Soeharto era, when free speech was severely curtailed.
The Communications and Information Ministry, of all the government institutions, should have known better, since it understands the most about Internet technology. You cannot block websites. There are ways around the walls, and as one of the blocked websites’ owner pointed out, for every site the government blocked, a thousand more would emerge.
So the government move is not only futile; it’s also stupid.
This is not a defense of those who propagate hatred and IS ideology through the Internet. These people and websites aren’t known for fighting for free speech, except their own. The BNPT claims it has been monitoring these websites for months and has no doubt that they are spreading violent IS messages. There is no reason to doubt the agency’s claim.
But Indonesia has fought terrorism waged in the name of Islam in the past by staying true to democratic rule.
After the Bali bombing in 2002, Indonesia strengthened the police’s counterterrorism squad and the nation’s intelligence capability. Every terrorist suspect was given due process of law. Many were convicted and sent to prison, some have since been released. Three of the Bali bombers were executed in 2008.
The last time Indonesia was struck by a suicide bombing was in 2009.
There is no reason for Indonesia to depart from the tradition of keeping to strict and credible law enforcement to deal with the new terrorism threat from IS.
The real fight, however, lies not with law enforcement, but in the battle for the souls of Indonesian Muslims.
This is not the job of the government alone, but the job of the major Islamic organizations, like Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, to compete head to head, yes online, with those radical groups that propagate hatred and violence.
When you start blocking websites, as ineffective as it may be, you send the wrong signals that the moderate (or progressive voices) of Islam are losing the propaganda campaign to the hard-liners. And along the way, since decisions for closing them seem to have been taken arbitrarily, you may even close down legitimate websites that promote moderation.
From past experience, such repressive measures will kill both moderate and radical voices, paving the way for dictatorship.
A few hundred Indonesians, many with their families, have reportedly relocated to the newly founded so-called Islamic Caliphate on the Syria-Iraqi border. Some have joined the fight, and one or two have been killed.
Maybe a few hundred more will join in the coming months. They are exercising a right that no government has the right to stop. Those returning from Syria should be monitored as those known to harbor radical beliefs.
But that’s for the police and intelligence to deal with.
No one should take the IS threat in Indonesia lightly. But nor should we take lightly the government’s recent tampering with free speech.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/02/commentary-fight-is-threat-protect-free-speech.html
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