In the past weeks, the government and various ministries have issued a regulation that sets out criteria for those “vulnerable to being exposed to radical views” and a joint decree that prohibits civil servants from posting, “liking” or sharing opinions that “contain hate speech against Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika [Unity in Diversity], the NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia] or the government”.

Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi in particular has been in the headlines for a number of controversial statements — including a mooted plan to ban the wearing of niqabs in government institutions. Most recently, his issuance of a ministerial regulation that requires majelis taklim (Quran study groups) to be registered with the ministry caused a backlash, including from political parties within the ruling coalition.

Golkar Party lawmaker Ace Hasan Syadzily said the regulation was “over the top”, while Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir said the government should not “overregulate” the activities of social groups such as majelis taklim.

At the same time, Fachrul’s recent statements in support of renewing the permit of controversial mass organization Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has made some members of the public question the government’s commitment to combating radicalism, resulting in the hashtag #JokowiTakutFPI (Jokowi is Afraid of the FPI) trending nationwide on Twitter on Thursday.

The permit for the FPI — described by critics as an intolerant group — expired in June. Government officials had previously cast doubt on the group’s chances of getting it renewed, but the Religious Affairs Ministry has recently issued a recommendation for the renewal, with Fachrul saying the group had pledged loyalty to the state ideology of Pancasila and participated “in advancing the country”.

The FPI has always denied claims it is a radical organization.

However, Home Minister Tito Karnavian, who has the final say over the permit renewal, said it was still being processed because of a number of issues with the group’s vision and mission and articles of association.

FPI leader Rizieq Shihab is currently in self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia, after being named a suspect in a number of cases, including one in which he allegedly insulted Pancasila and another in which he allegedly ridiculed Jesus Christ. Some of the cases have since been dropped. The FPI is also among a number of Islamic groups planning to take to the streets on Monday to commemorate the Dec. 2, 2016 anti-Ahok rally, in an event dubbed a “212 reunion”.

In a post on Facebook on Friday, Islamic intellectual Ulil Abshar Abdalla said the government’s strategy on radicalism seemed “clueless” and “confused”.

“[Fachrul’s] position is very confusing. The issue of the FPI is clearly more crucial, serious and important in the war against radicalism than the issue of niqabs,” he wrote. “Why is [Fachrul] very strict on niqabs but very soft on the FPI?”

Ulil also compared the joint decree on radicalism among civil servants to the government’s stance on the FPI. 

“Is a civil servant who ‘likes’ content that contains hoaxes or supports radical ideas much more dangerous than the FPI?” he wrote. “This inconsistency clearly shows that the government does not have a clear vision for its strategy on how to address radicalism.”

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University researcher Irfan Abubakar said that, while the government should take the threat of radicalism seriously, it should use a measured approach and involve the public more in its counterradicalism efforts. 

“If the government does not communicate its policies clearly, it risks creating suspicion and unrest among Muslim groups that may feel targeted,” he said.

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