Jakarta. Anti-terrorism expert and filmmaker Noor Huda Ismail said that he involved terror convicts in his filmmaking process to better portray how they got manipulated into joining radical groups.

Noor Huda Ismail’s work revolves around anti-terrorism. Some of his short movies include ‘Cross Fire’ and ‘Jihad Selfie’. He was also behind ‘Kecewa Karena Bapak Menjadi Teroris’ —(‘Disappointed Because Dad Became a Terrorist’)— in which terror convict Munir Kartono took part in the filmmaking process. Munir served four years in jail after being caught funding a suicide bombing at Surakarta Police headquarters.

Contrary to popular belief, religion is not the only way terrorist groups get into the minds of people. But people can fall under their influence due to other social issues such as family issues, according to Noor Huda. 

Munir had unresolved family problems, so he tried to find a way out outside his home. That was when he first interacted with radicalism, which led him to befriend Bahrun Naim, a notorious terrorist at ISIS. Munir and Bahrun Naim even planned attacks while playing billiards.

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“So there are many ways they can get to you, so it is not just by joining religious gatherings. But one can even become a terrorist by playing billiards or when disappointed in our family. That is why we must have all hands on deck to prevent radicalism and terrorism,” Noor Huda told Antara news agency.

It is imperative to keep the young generation from radicalism. The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has a program involving young people that serve as “cyber ambassadors”. These ambassadors —spread across 18 provinces— will help fight any radical propaganda in the digital realm. According to Noor Huda, cyber ambassadors can help raise awareness that radicalism is not only religion-based but there are also other causes.

“I’m glad that there are friends [cyber ambassadors] from Ambon, Papua. I hope they can make content on radicalism that does not always revolve around Islam being the cause [of radicalization],” he said.