Rizki Muhammad Iqbal, a student of Sociology Department, Social and Humanity Sciences Faculty, UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

This column begins with a course assignment in the Sociology Department by the guidance of B.J. Sujibto, M.A. which offering three statements to be analyzed and strengthened in relevant theories or academic researches. By the three statements, I chose "In average (or in general), terrorists have mental illness [true/false]." In my opinion, the mainstream insight that states terrorists have a mental illness is not entirely correct. Why is that?

Because terrorism has become a threat for everyone, even all countries are trying to eradicate it while it has not been completely successful. An argument of terrorism in which the mentally ill similarly prejudges the ideology of communism in Indonesia. Mostly, people think that communism is the enemy of religion. Instead, this fundamental prejudice comes from the conflict between religions (especially Islam) and the ideology of communism which came from the extended conflict between Masyumi and Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) after the independence of Indonesia. Each of the parties was fighting to control the political stage in the country. However, the understanding of communism as an atheist or enemy of religion must be straightened out. Predominantly, communism is a political ideology and an economic system, neither a religious movement nor atheism.

In this context, terrorism cases are attached to mental and psychological problems. I think that a generic assumption like this could blind our understanding of the origin of terrorism. Every problem is causal; it means every case having a different cause, effect, motive, and purpose. This motive occurs from two sides, internal or external. Also, the motive for committing acts of terrorism arises from an internal urge to change the social order in order to create social order which following the personal perception desires quickly (detiknews, 2018). Socio-political conditions could also cause an individual to acts in terrorist exertions.

However, most terrorist acts are carried out on religious motives, in Islam the term “the shield of jihad fi sabilillah” emerged. Even in Europe and the United States, there has been a stigma against Islam, Islamophobia. In this case, the religion is used justification to carry out plans and acts of terrorism through religious doctrine propaganda to the members. This way could make them believe that their deeds are a sacred mission that leads them to the pleasure in their Lord (Agus Handoko: 2019).

The doctrine process of brainwashing by terrorist actors utilizes the experience of identity crisis by the members. The members try to reframe their identity through the process of self-actualization in the social-environment through their wishes. The void of individual identity is united in a new sameness to reform a movement that is full of political interests. As the definition of political identity (Castells, 2010; Buchari, 2014; Lawler, 2014), which is a political effort of thinking and acting that grounds on the same identity of a group in order to fight for the interests of the group (Imanuel Geovasky, 2018).

Based on these various things in certain contexts, I believe that most terrorists do not have a mental illness. According to the terror psychology researcher of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah (Kompas, 2015), terrorists are normal persons who can think healthy and do not have psychopathological problems. The tendency of their cases is precisely due to the identity crisis, as I mentioned earlier. If seen from Jean-Paul Sartre's vision of existentialism, I would say that people who are exposed to terrorism initially do not understand their identity. The people seek the meaning of identity through the process of self-actualization on a specified goal - committing terrorism acts - following their choices and free will on delusional ideas. Not only individuals who try to seek actualization and existence, but people in groups too. As happened to groups such as the PLO, the separatist Quebec FLQ (Front deliberation du Quebec), and the Basque ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) which adopted terrorism acts to attract world attention, sympathy, and international support (Hamzah Junaid, 2013).

Finally, we must realize that anyone could be a perpetrator of terrorism. As explained earlier, the identity crisis causes people to be propagated to terrorism when they meet the radicalism and intolerance group. The terrorist actors carry out identity transformation to individuals who experienced this identity crisis.

Therefore, the prevention process could be carried out with an in-depth analysis of the causes which lead to terrorism. An education of terrorism, radicalism, and intolerance are important efforts to do in this process. These educations are accompanied by self-identity, self-actualization in social activities, developing hobbies, and talent teaching. The media scope for positive self-actuality must be opened and multiplied so they are not easily caught in the intrigue and trap of terrorism. These scopes of self-actuality could be an early prevention effort. Of course, all these efforts — both prevention and eradication — are sustainable works for both the government and society.

Referensi:

• Handoko, Agus. “Analisis Kejahatan Terorisme Berkedok Agama,”dalam FSH UIN Syarif Hidayatullah: Jurnal Sosial & Budaya Syar’i, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2019)
• Junaid, Hamzah.Pergerakan Kelompok Terorisme Dalam Perspektif Barat dan Islam, dalamwww.journal.uin-alauddin.ac.id. Diakses pada 09 Oktober 2020.
• Geovasky, Imanuel. 2018.Terorisme dalam Sudut Pandang Politik Identitas, dalam crcs.ugm.ac.id. Diakses pada 09 Oktober 2020.
• Saputra, Harja. 2018.Penyebab Seseorang Menjadi Teroris dan Pencegahannya. detiknews,https://news.detik.com/kolom/d-4021159/penyebab-seseorang-menjadi-teroris-dan-pencegahannya. Diakses pada 08 Oktober 2020.
• Gatra, Sandro. 2014.“Apa Motif Seseorang Menjadi Teroris?”KOMPAS.com,https://lifestyle.kompas.com/read/2014/09/18/09443281/Apa.Motif.Seseorang.Menjadi.Teroris?page=all. Diakses pada 09 Oktober 2020