JAKARTA: Para Wijayanto, the former leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), has called on ex-members to abide the organisation's recent dissolution and reintegrate into society.
Wijayanto, who led JI until his capture in 2019, said he hoped that all former members would support the decision and become good citizens of their countries.
In an interview with The Straits Times yesterday, he said JI's disbandment reflected a deeper understanding of Islamic teachings.
He said the group had conducted more in-depth research about Islam, and that as long as a country respects Islam and the right of Muslims to practise their religion, then it should not be seen as a target.
"The world now has changed. Countries may not be Islamic, but they do not impede Islam, and so these are friendly countries."
JI, established in 1993, was linked to Al-Qaeda and aimed to create a conservative Islamic state in Southeast Asia.
The group was banned in 2008 after a series of deadly attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed over 200 people.
Wijayanto said that the dissolution arose from a reevaluation of Islamic principles and the actions of Prophet Muhammad.
He urged former members to abandon extremist beliefs and contribute positively to their communities.
Wijayanto and some former JI leaders have even participated in outreach efforts to prevent regrouping.
Reflecting on past actions, he expressed regret for JI's violent history, stating, "We would like to apologise to the victims, and the families of the victims.
"We accept all the responsibility for our past actions, and we hope the cycle stops with us, instead of repeating itself," he said.
Wijayanto was named the top leader of JI after the death of co-founder Abdullah Sungkar in 1999. He was arrested on the outskirts of Jakarta in 2019 and sentenced to seven years jail in July 2020.
Despite this, experts warn that vigilance is still needed as the threat of terrorism remains.
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies associate research fellow Jasmindar Singh highlighted that while the dissolution is a positive step, complacency should be avoided.
He said it needed to be seen if the message continues to resonate even in the future, considering that the orders were given by those in custody.
"There are still many of them out there, and we don't know if they will fall in line," he said.
Meanwhile, Singapore's Internal Security Department reported an increased threat since the Israel-Hamas conflict, underlining the ongoing challenges in the region.
In its annual report on terrorism released on July 25, the department said the conflict had ignited emotive responses worldwide, including acts of violence and calls by terrorist groups to further their agenda.