Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia Bahaa Dessouki has also urged the media to call ISIS a terrorist group in Iraq and Syria instead of calling it "Islamic State."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is purely a political movement that uses the terminologies and symbols of Islam to expand its power and network, but it is not synonymous with Islam whatsoever.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission-VIII Saleh Partaonan Daulay stated here on Wednesday that ISIS cannot be synonymous with Islam in Indonesia; therefore, the Indonesian Muslim community strongly rejects the concept and ideology of ISIS.

Daulay also asked the media to abstain from reporting on ISIS in ways that can offend peoples religious sentiments in Indonesia.

According to the National Mandate Party politician, some media illustrated that ISIS movement was synonymous with Islam, but in reality, it is a political movement.

"Some parties have objected to media reports that equated ISIS and Islam, and they have requested that reports on ISIS should not be associated with Islam or Muslims in Indonesia," Daulay noted.

He affirmed that Nahdlatul Ulama Central Executive Board, Muhammadiyah, and other large Islamic Organizations in Indonesia have voiced their disapproval of ISIS and observed that their members could not have been influenced by its ideology.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia Bahaa Dessouki has also urged the media to call ISIS a terrorist group in Iraq and Syria instead of calling it "Islamic State."

"It is all right to say ISIS is a terrorist group because it fights against Muslims and non-Muslims to destroy Islamic values and teachings," the Egyptian envoy said here on Wednesday.

Dessouki noted that naming the terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria would only perpetuate misconception about true Islam.

According to him, the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria has killed many innocent people and has been inhuman. It is the "common enemy" of all Muslims because whatever it did so far had been "completely wrong" and "did not represent Islam."

In order to eradicate the terrorist group that has killed numerous Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, Dessouki revealed, Egypt has adopted two approaches: de-radicalization programs and military power.

However, numerous foreign nationals, including Malaysians and Indonesians, have joined the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi-led terrorist group.

Deputy Chairman of the Commission-I of the House of Representatives Tubagus Hasanudin remarked here on Wednesday that some 514 Indonesians have joined ISIS.

"Based on the information I have received, some 514 Indonesians have joined ISIS and four of them have been killed in fights," Tubagus pointed out here on Wednesday.

Tubagus, however, could not give the details of the places from where the 514 Indonesians hailed.

"What is certain is that they are all Indonesians," he stressed, adding that the Houses Commission-I will have intensive discussions on ISIS with the foreign office, military and National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

He emphasized that BIN and other related institutions, including religious leaders, should prevent the radicalization of Indonesian youths in order to fight against ISIS.

"Although our country has a vast territory, many of the areas have remained free of radicalism. Therefore, I still believe radicalization can be prevented," he added.

He urged the government and intelligence agency to closely watch school students and protect them from falling for the ISIS propaganda.

ISIS is believed to be extensively recruiting fighters from Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim country.

Meanwhile, Indonesian and Turkish authorities are jointly looking for 16 Indonesians who are reported missing in Turkey.

They were part of a group of Indonesian tourists visiting Turkey. They separated from the group and are believed to have joined ISIS.

They said they wanted to visit a relative there and promised to join the group on the return trip to Indonesia, but they did not return.

Earlier, Turkish authorities arrested 16 Indonesians from its border with Syria. However, they are not the 16 missing tourists.

Chief of the Semarang City Police Senior Commissioner Djihartono stated on Wednesday that six graduates from Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unisula) in Semarang, Central Java, allegedly departed for Syria to join ISIS.

"They are all alumni of the Islamic post-graduate program," Djihartono said, adding that the six Unisula alumni were not the residents of Semarang city but hailed from different regions in Southeast Sulawesi province.

He revealed that based on preliminary investigations, all six of them had first left Indonesia with South Korea as their destination.

"However, they are believed to have later changed their destination to Syria. We are still probing whether they are linked to ISIS or not," Djihartono affirmed.

However, spokesman for Unisula Nur Cholis noted that many students of the university traveled abroad for educational purposes.

They toured oversees for student exchange programs and science meets, he added.

"To participate in overseas activities, students must secure official permits from the university," he pointed out.

When asked about the allegation that six Unisula alumni had left for Syria to join ISIS, he denied having any information about it.

Vice-President Jusuf Kalla has issued a warning that the government may revoke the citizenship of its people joining ISIS.

"Citizens joining another countrys war may lose their citizenship," the Vice-President stated here on Wednesday.(*)

Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015