With research conducted in July to October this year, the report finds that Bogor and Depok, two satellite cities in West Java to the south of Jakarta, known for violations of religious freedoms, have become hotbeds for radical preachers to spread radical and hate-fueled messages in multiple places, such as universities and housing complexes.

The researchers gathered the data through direct observations of Islamic religious activity and covert in-depth interviews with more than 20 people in each city, ranging from preachers, housing developers, students, civil servants, former terrorist convicts and officials from the National and Political Unity Office (Kesbangpol).

“We found that intolerance and radicalism in Depok were spread through religious activities and even education institutions. They can also be found in housing complexes, which lack attention from the government,” Setara researcher Sudarto said at his office in South Jakarta on Wednesday.

Sudarto found that sermons given in housing complexes generally promoted jihad and encouraged people to prepare for the “great war.”

“Of course, they also conveyed hate-fueled messages against believers of other faiths,” Sudarto said, adding that such gatherings were held once a week, on the weekends.

Activities held by student associations and Islamist groups at the University of Indonesia (UI) often spread hatred against minority groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and Ahmadis.

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