REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin remarked that a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) for preventing the spread of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Indonesia is needed to revoke citizenship.

"A government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) related to the prevention of the spread of ISIS is necessary," Lukman stated here on Monday (30/3).

According to Lukman, Indonesia has no legal basis to arrest the citizens who are involved with ISIS.

"We do not have a legal basis to revoke their citizenship or impose certain sanctions. We need to strengthen regulations," he affirmed.

Lukman stressed that the Religious Affairs Ministry has been cooperating with several parties in its efforts to prevent the spread of ISIS ideology.

"We are involving several religious leaders, schools, and mass organizations to combat ISIS. We are communicating intensively on ways to prevent the ISIS ideology," he stated.

Earlier, Indonesia's Council of Ulemas (MUI) has appealed to the government to close any access that radical movements might have to the country, following the recent case of an ISIS video going viral on the internet.

"If possible, the government should immediately close all loopholes that provide ISIS entry into the country," General Chairman of the MUI Din Syamsuddin said here.

He pointed out that in the current era of digital technology, it was not impossible for radicalism, such as the one carried out by ISIS, to make inroads into the country through the internet, which is accessible to the country's population of 250 million.

"Many are certainly interested to gain leeway, and it is possible for them to benefit from such means for the purpose. Hence, it is the government's responsibility to revoke access to ensure that those lured by ISIS to conduct jihad cannot enter the country," he emphasized.

Syamsuddin further noted that the ISIS movement did not threaten Muslims alone but mankind as a whole since the actions carried out by its members so far have threatened civilization and the reputation of Islam.

"I think ISIS is carrying out a radical political movement, not a religious one. However, it has acted in the name of religion and used religion wrongly to destroy the existing state system," he pointed out.

This movement must be fought with a comprehensive program, Syamsuddin remarked, adding that the government and other concerned parties must conduct thorough studies to identify the reasons why it began.

As the ISIS is an ideological movement, it must be fought using ideology, he emphasized.

According to Syamsuddin, the government and the community must strengthen the Islamic ideology, which upholds the principle of "rahmatan lilalamin" (peace for the whole world), as well as the nationalist ideology.

"If this is done, the ISIS will have no room to grow in Indonesia," he affirmed.

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