A shadow from the past

A shadow from the past

For quite a while now we have been presented with various news stories about the movement for an Indonesian Islamic State (NII). Such stories inevitably arouse concern within us. The name NII itself, invariably awakens a traumatic pain, particularly for the West Javanese people. It is a burden of the past, which cannot be easily thrown away as, for decades, NII has caused not only physical injuries but also a heavy mental burden.

In recent years, the name NII has been reported more often in the mass media, particularly in Bandung, where we have read that there are many activities associated with NII. More worrisome, those involved in these activities are the young generation.

Many stories about the activities of NII in West Java have actually not vanished although the NII movement with its Darul Islam has physically been crushed. Its leading figure, Kartosuwiryo, has also been sentenced to death. Yet, his shadow still continues to haunt people until now.

Considering a comprehension of history among our people is lacking, it is likely that today's young people do not have complete information about NII. The history of NII, like other histories, has not been written in perspective yet. Meanwhile, the future generation, of course, really needs this information. Due to their lack of education, many young people do not know the history of their own people. So, when the name of NII comes up, for example, they know next to nothing about it.

-- Pikiran Rakyat, Jakarta