http://fediandina.multiply.com/journal/item/8
Selasa minggu lalu aku dapat email dari wakil pemred bahwa Kamis ada diskusi tertutup tentang "Bagaimana Kamu Jihadis di Indonesia semakin berkembang" yang diselenggarakan oleh sebuah institut Belgia di Brussel. Aku sebar email itu ke semua kolega dan tidak lama kemudian, boss datang. Dia bilang ini diskusi bagus, kamu saja ke Brussel. Bisa tidak? Wah aku rada bingug soalnya aku udah janji mau reportase ke Amsterdam tentang makanan pada jaman Singasari, Soal makanan aku doyan berat lah, boleh dikatakan pakar (sedikit). Tapi ini reportase di Brussel juga sangat menarik. Akhirnya ada rekanku yang mau mengambil-alih reportase di Amsterdam. Jadilah aku ngurus semua serba cepat, tiket kereta api pp ke Brussel, hotel, dan yang paling penting, melaporkan diri ke pihak penyelenggara bahwa aku ingin hadir. Soalnya diskusi tertutup dan hanya boleh datang atas undangan pribadi. Waktu aku dapat email balasan oke, langsung kontak biro perjalanan. Dapat tiket kereta pp kelas satu (lumayan), hotelnya dekat dari tempat diskusi (500 meter) jadi aku nggak takut kalo pulang malem banget. Jadilah ke brussel. baru sekali itu aku naik kereta internasional dari Amsterdam. Biasanya naik Thalys (kalo ke Paris, udah berkali-kali) atau naik mobil sama suami tercinta. Bawaanku banyak tapi bisa diringkes di satu tas ditambah tas lagi isi laptop. Wah aku harus laporan nih , bener juga kata kolega yang lain, kalo laporan kayak gini bawaannya ribet. Cukup berat lagi. Aku harus keluar di Brussel Central. Rupanya setelah perbatasan Brussel ada kereta lain yang mogok, jadi terlambat satu jam. Sampai di hotel (bagus juga di tengah kota lagi) aku jalan keluar sebentar melihat lokasi dan keadaan. wah rupanya di tengah alun-alun besar dengan banyak restoran dan toko mahal (Rue de Sablon). Eits, ada dua toko coklat yang satu Godiva dan yang lain Wittamer. Godiva aku kenal dari sitenya sudah bertahun-tahun. Aku kira ini coklat USA, tauknya asal Belgi juga. Jadilah hati tak terbendung untuk mencoba, sekalian bawain oleh-oleh buat orang di rumah. Alah maakkk, mahalnya!!! Karena cinta suami dan anak beli juga paaseiren (coklat kayak telor paskah kecil-kecil), truffle, coklat batangan khas Godiva, bon-bon dan cokalt kecil-kecil dengan hiasan paskah yang cantik khusus untuk putriku Anne. Mahal mak, hampir 50 euro. Biarlah kan nggak tiap bulan ke brussel. perutku keroncongan, cari makan. Di Brussel semuanya serba Prancis, walaupun ada juga terjemahan bahasa Belandanya. Dan aku nggak gape bahasa Prancis. Akhirnya masuk trattoria Italia, pesen slada yang besar dan dia kasih pasta yang adalah menu hari itu. Wah sedap banget!!! langsung seger lagi rasa badan ini. Setelah itu cari tempat diskusi, rupanya tidak jauh dan gedungnya juga bagus. Setelah balik ke hotel, mandi, siap-siap dengan peralatan aku pelan-pelan persiapkan diri buat diskusi. Mudah-mudahan bahasa Inggrisku nggak kagok. Soalnya ku nggak tahu siapa peserta diskusi lainnya. Yang aku tahu cuma pembicara utama, Noor Huda Ismail, bekas luusan Ngruki yang sekarang lagi ngambil master di University of St. Andrew di Skotland. Dia katanya sekelas dengan sejumlah jihadis, pembom Bali dll. Jadi cerita dari mulut pertama nih ... Sampai di sana kenalan sama sejumlah orang. Aku diminta untuk tidak merekam diskusi tapi boleh wawancara setelah itu. Rupanya ada beberapa orang yang keberatan direkam, karena mereka kerja buat intel atau deplu atau uni eropa. Nggak papa lah, selama aku bisa nulis isi diskusi itu sudah bagus. Setelah itu aku mau wawancara Noor Huda. Diskusinya seru, cukup bermanfaat, walaupun aku nggak begitu negrti maksudnya. Rupanay mereka ini *policy maker*-nya Belgia, dan ingin tahun pengalaman pribadi Huda. Selesai diskusi Huda dan saya diajak makan oleh Prof Rik Coolsaet dari Universitas Gent di Belgia. Kita ngobrol tentang Huda, tentang diskusi dan tentang jihad dan terorisme di Indon.Baru setelah itu saya bisa wawancara Huda. Sudah malam, sudah capek dan ngantuk. Untungnya saya tetap gigih dan kritis.Tapi hari ini rasanya panjang sekali dan setelah sampe di hotel baru kerasa capeknya badan. Mana kerjaan belum selesai, aku harus ngedit dan kalo bisa kirim wawancara langsung ke Hilversum Besok paginya setelah makan pagi saya pualng lagi ke Belanda. Pengalaman yang sangat berguna, walaupun saya merasa aneh juga. Sebenranya semua berjalan lancar, tapi ada beberapa item yang kalo bisa saya ingin ubah atawa ulang. Biarlah telpon lagi kalo perlu ... Malamnya waktu istirahat di rumah, badan saya panas, demam tinggi 40 derajat. pake muntah-muntah lagi. Waaahhh apaan ini??? Suami saya agak panik dan lngsung telpon dokter jaga. Setelah diperiksa, saya radang tenggorokan, langsung dikasih antibiotika. Badan rasanya lemessss banget. Dokter bilang kecapekan. Bisa juga, udah sebulan lebih saya kerja keras, ngelembur hampir tiap hari ....!!! === Dari Rahmadiyanti Rusdi, pegiat FLP dan redaktur majalah Annida Hasil diskusinya gak boleh dipublish juga ya, Mbak Fedi? Pengen tau deh, paling gak bocoran dikit gitu :), gimana menurut Noor Huda perkembangan kaum jihadis di Indonesia... Oya, semoga cepet sehat lagi ya mbak === Hai semua, terima kasih atas doanya. Saya sudah mulai kerja lagi kemarin. Sekarang gantian sang suami yang ketularan. Wah rupanya loncat-loncat dari yang satu ke yang lain Jadi kita gantian ngurusin orang sakit he...he...he... Tentang isi diskusi itu bisa dilihat di blognya Noor Huda Ismail, alamatnya: http://noorhudaismail.blogspot.com === setelah liat informasi di blognya nurhuda sbb : Noor Huda Ismail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> was a special correspondent for the Washington Post's Jakarta bureau from 2003-2004. He was also a research analyst at the Institute of Defense and Security Studies Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 2005. Currently, he is a British Chevening scholar undertaking postgraduate program on International Security Studies at St. Andrews University, UK. === http://noorhudaismail.blogspot.com/2006/03/understanding-how-jihadists-in.html Understanding How Jihadists in Indonesia Rejuvenate Themselves Introduction Jamaah Islamiyah, a pan-Southeast Asia jihadi network, has been weaken by arrests and other counter-terror measures put in place since the October 2002 Bali bombing, parts of the organizations, or even individuals, can continue to function in partnership with non JI groups . Since then, terrorists have struck with murderous effect, twice in Jakarta -- at the Marriott Hotel in August 2003 and in the vicinity of the Australian Embassy in September 2004 -- and once again in Bali last October. But which group and how are the partnerships forged The full article is in PDF format, please click here<https://alumni.state.gov/bin/alumni/Brussel%20talk.pdf>to see it. === hasil copy paste, namun agak berantakan dengan catatan kakinya. silakan download langsung pdf filenya di https://alumni.state.gov/bin/alumni/Brussel%20talk.pdf 1 Understanding how Jihadists in Indonesia rejuvenate themselves Noor Huda Ismail Introduction Jamaah Islamiyah, a pan-Southeast Asia jihadi network, has been weaken by arrests and other counter-terror measures put in place since the October 2002 Bali bombing, parts of the organizations, or even individuals, can continue to function in partnership with non JI groups1. Since then, terrorists have struck with murderous effect, twice in Jakarta -- at the Marriott Hotel in August 2003 and in the vicinity of the Australian Embassy in September 2004 -- and once again in Bali last October. But which group and how are the partnerships forged? In the wake of each of these attacks, Indonesia responded in the way a democracy should: balancing security needs, the democratic process and respect for human rights2. However, Indonesia like other part of Southeast Asia provides conditions that allow terrorists to operate, such as weak state control, porous borders, and corruption3. Yet at the same time the Indonesian public is skeptical about the existence of an international terrorist problem. Not only is there general denial amongst the Indonesian population but Indonesian's political leader have had to tread carefully on the issue. 1 International Crisis Group report 2001. Apart from this report, the author has documented more than 300 arrested jihadi in Southeast Asia, most of them JI members. 2 Wirayuda, Hasan, Islam and process of democratization in Southeast Asia, The Jakarta Post, December 8, 2005 3 Smith, L Anthony, 'The Politics of Negotiating the Terrorist Problem in Indonesia', in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 28:33-44, 2005. 2 This essay mainly based on author's direct interviews with jihadists in Indonesia4 Martha Crenshaw reminded us that terrorism research lacks an empirical foundation of 'primary date based on interviews and life histories' of those engaged in terrorism5. Also, less effort has been put into listening what the terrorists themselves have to say.6Moreover, interviews yield rich insight into people's biographies, experience, opinions, values, aspirations, attitudes and feelings.7 Thus, it is not the ambition of this essay to come up with any new magic bullets to understand this complex phenomenon of terrorism in Indonesia rather to provide a study from first hand sources on how these jihadists rejuvenate themselves even though the high ranking members had been decapitated. In the first section, the author explains briefly the concepts he uses and elaborates the importance of having a clear definition of terrorism for the on going counter terrorism measures in Indonesia. In the next part, he lays out on how to understand the Jihadis movement in Indonesia by looking at the existing Islamic resistance group, kinship, place of recruitment and distribution of militant books that forged them together. If the pattern outlined in this essay holds true, Indonesia will not be able to eradicate Jamaah Islamiyah or its jihadist partners, even if it arrests every member of the central command. Even if Jamaah Islamiyah closed up shop tomorrow, the terrorism problem would not go away - of those detained in Indonesia for terrorist activities, only about half are Jamaah Islamiyah members; 4 The author was a journalist for the Washington Post who interviewed hundred of jihadists in Southeast Asia. From 2002-2005 5 In Horgan, John, 'The case of first hand research' in Silke, Andrew, Research on Terrorism, Trend, Achievements and Failures. 6 Horgan, John, The Psychology of Terrorism (Routlegde:London and New York : 2005) xv 7 May, Tim, Social Research Issue, methods and process ( Open University Press: Maidenhead:2003) 3 the rest belong to other jihadist groups. Finally, he concludes that the potential recruit can be prevented and predicted by more attention to a few key measures and the threat would to be able to contain. Clarification of concepts and its implication Terrorist and Terrorism Compounding the problem of fighting terrorism in Indonesia is the fact that there is still widespread public disbelief about the threat posed by Jamaah Islamiyah and many in Indonesia still view the whole war against terrorism as a plan to weaken Islam. Some even say: the terrorist threat real of hocus pocus?8 Both the phenomenon of terrorism and our conceptions of it depend on historical context-political, social and economic and how the group and individuals who participate in or respond to the actions we call terrorism relate to world in which they act.9 The terrorist phenomenon has a long and varied history by lively debates over the meaning of the term. One of the problems is a simple: there is no widely agreed definition of terrorism. The solution, however, is elusive10. By ignoring this history, the Indonesian government runs the risk of repeating the plethora of mistakes that faced similar threats in 8 Zulaika, Joseba and Douglas A. William, Terror and Taboo The Follies, Fables and Face of Terrorism ( Routhledge New York and London:1996) p 8. 9 Crenshaw, Martha, Terrorism in Context, ( The Pennsylvania State University Press:1995) p3 10 Silke, Andrew, Research on Terrorism. Trends, Achievements and Failures (Frank Cass: Great Britain; 2004) p 3. 4 the past.11 Certainly many candidates for universal definition have been proposed. Schmid and Jongman recorded 109 different definitions in their famous review in the mid 1980s, but an energetic compiler today would have little trouble gathering at least twice that number.12 It is not in the scope of this essay to provide a profound discussion on this theme, thus the author will adopt a broad definition of terrorism as: "the use or threat of use of violence as a means of attempting to achieve some sort of effect within a political context"13 where the political dimension separates it from regular violence. Of course, few terrorists call themselves terrorist; many are 'freedom fighter' or heroic defenders or worthwhile cause.14 But what sort of freedom are they fighting for? Certainly not the kind we enjoy.15 Terrorism clearly is an extremely complex set of phenomena, covering a great diversity of groups with different origins and causes16. Islamism and Global Salafi Jihad Many Western observers and policy-makers have tended to lump all forms of Islamism together, brand them as radical and treat them as hostile. However, this monolithic concept is both fundamentally misconceived and misleading in its policy prescriptions. Islamism or Islamic activism (we treat these terms as synonymous) has a number of very different streams, only a few of them violent and only a small minority justifying a confrontational 11 Audrey, Kurth Cronin, Behind the Curve; Globalization and International Terrorism, The Center of Strategic Studies and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 12 Schmid, Alex and Jongman, Albert, Political Terrorism, 2nd edn (Oxford: North-Holland Publishing Company, 1988). Schmid spends more than 100 pages grapping with the question of a definition, only to conclude that none is universally accepted. 13 Horgan, John, The Psychology of Terrorism, (Routhledge: London and New York: 2005) p 1 14 Whitaker J, David, Terrorism Understanding Global Threat (Great Britain:2002) p 4 15 Dobson, Christopher and Payne, Ronald, War without end the terrorist : an intelligent dossier, ( Harry; UK 1986) p 338 16 Bjorne, Tore, eds, Root of Causes of Terrorism. Myth, reality and ways forward (Routhledge: London and New York: 2005) p 1. 5 response17. In fact, Islamic activism has a number of very different streams, only a few of them violent. The starting point to understand the different streams of Islamic activism is to distinguish between Shiite and Sunni Islamism18. Shiism is the minority variant of Islam (Sunnis constitute over 80 per cent of Muslims) and the most widespread and natural form of Shiite activism has been communal -- defending the interests of the Shiite community in relation to other populations and to the state itself.19 For this reason, and because of the leading political role played by scholars and religious authorities, Shiite Islamism has remained unified to a remarkable degree and has not fragmented into conflicting forms of activism as has Sunni Islamism.20 In medieval times the war words waged by Western writers against Muhammad, Islam and The Koran is emphasized.21 Today, most Western emphasis is place and most fears are held about Sunni Islamism, which is often viewed as uniformly fundamentalist22, radical, and threatening to Western interests. On the contrary, Sunni Islamism is diverse and its variant streams can be grouped into three main distinctive types, each with its own world view, modus operandi and characteristic actors: Political: Islamic political movements that generally accept the nation-state and operate within its constitutional framework, eschew violence (except under 17 ICG Report on Islamism 2003. 18 For a constructive recent discussion of this issue, see Kennedy, Hugh, The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphate(Pearson:2004) also see G.S, Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, 3 vol. (University of Chicago:1974) 19 Milani M.Mohsen, The Making of Iran's Islamic Revolution: From Monarchy to Islamic Republic ( Westview Press/Boulder and London:1988). 20 Shariati, A., Islamshinasi in Iran, Suroosh, Revolutionay Islam in Iran Popular Liberation or Religious doctrinship? P ix 21 Hitti, Philip K, Islam and the West ( D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc : 1962) p 3 22 Tibi, Bassam, The Worldview of Sunni Arab Fundamentalist: Attitude toward Modern Science and Technology, in Marty E, Marty and Appleby R Scott, Fundamentalism and Society (The University of Chicago Press 1993). According to Tibi, contemporary Muslim thinkers have accepted a recently coined term in modern Arabic, usuliya ('fundamentalism), based on the concept of usul (fundamentals, 'roots of principles), which is as old as Islam. 6 conditions of foreign occupation), articulate a reformist rather than revolutionary vision and invoke universal democratic norms. The characteristic actor is the partypolitical militant. Missionary: the Islamic missions of conversion (al-da'wa), exemplified by the highly structured Tablighi movement and the highly diffuse Salafiyya movement, whose overriding purpose is the preservation of the Muslim identity and the Islamic faith and moral order against the forces of unbelief. The characteristic actors are missionaries (du'ah) and the 'ulama.23 Jihadi: the Islamic armed struggle (al-jihad), which exists in three main variants: internal (combating nominally Muslim regimes considered impious); irredentist (fighting to redeem land ruled by non-Muslims or under occupation); and global (combating the West). The characteristic actor is, of course, the fighter (al-mujahid). The interpretation of Jihad by Al Qaeda and its associates such as Jamaah Islamiyah, makes killing an obligation in the name of Allah.24 Through developing a state of war between the righteous Muslims, 'we', and the infidels in the West, 'them', all civilians in the West are subject to attack.25 They see the international actors as the enemies, which are opponents in a war, and consequently are outspoken and justifiable targets.26 By waging a war against the 'far enemy', with maximum damage to these, they seek to reach maximum popularity among the Muslim masses27. 23 An interview with Tal'at Fuad Qosim by Hasyim Mubarok in Beinin Joel and Stork Joe, Political Islam p.37. Tal'at said: "Religion requires not just personal 'conversion'. We began by spreading our message but our goal has been the establishment of Islamic state". 24 Bin Laden Osama, "Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders", p. 412 25 Wiktorowicz, "A Genealogy of Radical Islam", p. 94 26 Kepel, "The War for Muslim Minds", p. 123 27 Ibid 7 The description given by Gilles Kepel that "Al Qaeda has become a franchise, with Bin Laden merely the logo for small-time operations managed by independent microentrepreneurs working under license to provide terrorism"28, is largely agreed upon among students of al Qaeda, whereas Osama Bin Laden (OBL) and Ayman al Zawahiri provide the extreme ideology for the true believers and the vanguard of the greater Islamic revolution. Looking at that characteristic posed by Al Qaeda and associates, therefore, the author concludes that Jamaah Islamiyah is part of global Salafi jihad that has been defined by Marc Sageman as "a worldwide religious revivalist movement with the goal of re-establishing past Muslim glory in a great Islamic states stretching from Morocco to the Philippines, eliminating present national boundaries"29 Jihadist movement in Indonesia Indonesia is still in process of transition. Islam, as a moral force in support of reform, has played a strong and positive role, although it must also be said that there have been times when Muslim militants and extremists loomed as part of the problems Indonesia grappling with. These people have been using 'jihad' as a way to appeal the support from Indonesian Moslems who feel alienated in the process of democratization. Joining jihad is actually a process and not a single decision. The formal induction into Al Qaeda often took place in Afghanistan, when the novice pledged baya, a formal oath of loyalty, to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda30. 'Joining the jihad" is understood here as the decision to go somewhere for training, whether Afghanistan (the most common destination), 28 Kepel, The War for Muslim Minds Islam and the West, p. 141 29 Sageman, Marc, "Understanding Terror Networks" (University of Pennsylvania Press; 2004) p1 30 Ibid 91 8 Bosnia, the Philippine, Malaysia or Indonesia31. It is important to note that everyone who participated in the training joined the jihad. In this section, the author explains about social factors people joining jihad which according to the author are complex interrelation among the existing resistance movement of Darul Islam, the place of recruitment (conflicts areas), kinship, discipleship and distribution of militant books that could lead people to join jihad, forged the partnerships and rejuvenate the group. Darul Islam: the spawning ground for 'joining the jihad' To understanding of jihadi movement in Indonesia, we have to understand the existing religious resistance movement called Darul Islam (DI) and its efforts to establish the Islamic State of Indonesia. Over the last 55 years, that movement has produced splinters and offshoots that range from Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) to non-violent religious groups. Greg Fealy points out that "former Darul Islam areas have proven a rich source of new members for JI and are likely to remain so in the future"32. Every time the older generation seems on the verge of passing into irrelevance, a new generation of young militants, inspired by Darul Islam's history and the mystique of an Islamic state, emerges to give the movement a new lease on life.33 The Darul Islam movement that began as separate rebellions in West Java, 31 Ibid 92 32 Fealy, Greg, "Islamic Radicalims", pp. 111-112 33 Author's interview with Tajul Arifin. Arifin is one of young Darul Islam members who disappointed with their old leader within the organization. He tried to assassin Indonesian politician. He served in jail for five years. An interview was conducted after his release on July 2005. 9 South Sulawesi, and Aceh in the 1950s is now one very loose but enduring web of personal contacts that extends to most of the major islands in Indonesia.34 Over the years, younger, more militant members of Darul Islam have formed new groups, of which JI is one. The common Darul Islam heritage is so powerful a bond that it facilitates contacts and communication across the entire extended family. These people know and visit each other, go to school together, intermarry, and keep in touch across generations. They also feud, bicker, and not infrequently, inform on each other. But the network endures, even as its component parts are constantly changing35. Within days of the explosion, Indonesian police determined that two known Malaysian JI members, Azhari Husin and Noordin Mohammed Top, were involved36. But it became apparent that they were working in partnership with an offshoot of Darul Islam called the Banten Ring, operating in old Darul Islam strongholds in western Java. Three of the young men recruited as suicide bombers from the Banten Ring, including one who died in the September bombing, had fathers in Darul Islam.37 Place of recruitment All senior members of the central command of Jamaah Islamiyah come from Darul Islam. The Indonesian had joined the global jihad in Malaysia, where the eventual leadership of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) has been exiled. They were trained in Afghanistan in the late 1980s and early 34 Author's interview with Gaos Taufiq, Darul Islam leader, on July 2005 in North Sumatra, Indonesia. He is among the first generations of Darul Islam who still alive. He is in his late 60ies. 35 Author's interview with Fauzi Islam, former member of Darul Islam. He was involved in rebellion in Sumatra in late 80ies. He served 10 years in jail. He is free now. 36 Alan Sipress and Noor Huda Ismail, '3 Fugitives Muslim Militants Suspected in Jakarta Attack,' The Washington Post, September 11, 2004. 37 Author's interview with the father of suicide bomber who is Darul Islam member in West Java July, 2005 10 1990s, before Jama'ah Islamiyah formally existed. It was in the camps of the Saudi-financed Afghan mujahidin leader Abdul Rasul Sayyaf that they developed jihadist fervor, international contacts, and deadly skills.38 Afghanistan veterans became the trainers of a new generation of mujahidin when Jamaah Islamiyah set up a camp in Mindanao from 1996 to 2000 in a reciprocal arrangement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).39 The recruits trained in everything from explosives to sharp-shooting and included not only JI members but also members of like-minded jihadist organisations from other parts of Indonesia, especially South Sulawesi and West Java. This means that Indonesia has to worry about other organizations as well, whose members have equally lethal skills but do not operate under the JI command structure In Maluku and Poso are the worst communal conflicts of the immediate post-Soeharto period. Soeharto was the Indonesia president who stepped down by force in 1998. Since then, Indonesia was in fragile situation where many religious conflicts between Islam and Christian community erupted. For Jihadists, the conflicts were seen as the best place to put into practice their military skills as well as to draw many regular Moslems to actually join the jihad. Maluku and Poso, but particularly Poso, have the potential to develop into a qoidah aminah, a secure area where residents can live by Islamic principles and apply Islamic law: in their view, such a base could then serve as the building block of an Islamic state. Maluku and Poso thus remain a focus for religious outreach and recruitment efforts.40For example, In September 2002, the State Intelligence Agency uncovered a cache of damning videotapes 38 Author's interview with a Malaysian Nasir Abbas, the head of Jama'ah Islamiyah command for Malaysia in July 2005 in Jakarta. Abbas was arrested for two years for possessing gun and false document. He was trained and fought in Afghan in 1989. 39 Author's interview with Muhammad Syaefudin on July 2003 in Jakarta Prison. Syaefudin participated Jamaah Islamiyah's training in Moro in early 2000. 40 Author's interview with a number of people who involved in that communal conflict in 2004 and 2005 11 made by a Saudi-German extremist named Seyam Reda. One of the clips showed sermonizing Arabs spreading messages of hate and intolerance to rapt audiences in Sulawesi and Kalimantan. Another, dated Dec. 1, 2001, was of an Islamic prayer session in Central Sulawesi, during which weapons were distributed to militants as well as al-Qaeda member Umar Farouq. Yet another, filmed a few hours later, showed the militants pillaging and plundering on the outskirts of Poso41. Kinship The Jamaah Islamiyah network is held together not just by ideology and training but also by an intricate network of marriages that at times makes it seems like a giant extended family. For example, Ali Ghufron, one of key operatives in the first Bali bombing, is married with the younger sister of Nassir bin Abbas, the head of Jamaah Islamiyah commander for Malaysia. Two of Ali Ghufron's brothers: Ali Imron and Amrozi were deeply involved in Bali bombing. Ali Fauzi, one of Bali bombers who still at large, is Ali Ghufron's half brother42. Kinship bonds also extended to in-laws. Yazid Suffat became more religious thorough his wife's urging. He studied with senior members of Jama'ah Islamiyah, ended up joining that organization and was the host of the Kuala Lumpur al Qaeda conference leading to Cole bombing and the 9/11 operation.43 Haris Fadillah, a Moslem militia leader, arranged the marriage of his daughter, Mira Agustina, to Omar al-Faruq, an al Qaeda representative in Southeast Asia, in one day44. Insufficient attention has been paid to the role the women of Jamaah Islamiyah play in cementing the network. In many cases, senior JI leaders arranged the 41 Hendropriono, A.M, Enlisting Cleric is not enough, The Jakarta Post, December 5, 2005 42 Author's interview with Ali Imron in Jakarta prison, July 2005 43 Ibid 112 44 Author's interview with Mira Agustina in her house in West Java in 2003 12 marriages of their subordinates to their own sisters or sisters-in-law to keep the network secure. Discipleship According to Marc Sageman, The Southeast Asian cluster is unique45. He argues that in Southeast Asia, teachers command strong personal loyalty from their students. This loyalty may be life long, as illustrated by the three Jamaah Islamiyah convicts incarcerated in Singapore, who testified against their former teacher Abu Bakar Ba'asyir in June 2003. Despite their damning testimony, two spontaneously started to cry at the sight of their teacher. They repeated that they loved him but urged him to tell the truth about his activities46. Jamaah Islamiyah also depends on a small circle of pesantrens Muslim boarding schools to propagate jihadist teachings47. Of the more than 14,000 such schools in Indonesia, only a tiny number are committed to jihadist principles, but there is a kind of JI "Ivy League" to which JI members send their own children48. Chief among these is Pesantren al-Mukmin, better known as Pondok Ngruki, whose founder, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, is believed to have been JI's amir or top leader between late 1999 and 2002. Most members of the network share common characteristics: loyalty to pesantren or its founders; commitment to carrying on the struggle of Darul Islam rebellions of the 1950s; desire to create an Islamic state by first establishing an Islamic community or jemaah islamiyah, and shared experiences of political detention in the 1980s. The other pesantren is 'Al Islam' in East Java. Ali Imron, one of key 45 Ibid 114 46 Author was present in that court in June 2003. 47 Ismail, Noor Huda, 'Is Ngruki a school of terrorism?' The Jakarta Post 2004 48 Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia: Damaged But Still Dangerous (Jakarta/Brussels; International Crisis Group Asia Report No. 36, 26 August 2003).p26. 13 Bali bomber was a teacher in that pesantren. While pesantren Darus Sya'adah in Central Java has been linked to some of the al-Ghuraba militants, arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and at least one of the October 2005 Bali bombers. Also, at least one pesantren, called Al Iman in Poso, Central Sulawesi, has raised eyebrows for its incendiary teachings.49 The distribution of militant books In 2003, the field commander of the first Bali blast, Imam Samudra released a 280 page jailhouse autobiography titled "Me against the Terrorist" contains harsh justifications for Bali attacks.50 The book has been received highly response among militants and could inspire them. Achmand Michdan, Samudra's attorney who wrote the forward said that thousand copies have been issued in at least seven cities across island of Java and Sumatra. Michdan said that the publisher is considering translating the book into English, French and Arabic51. Samudra's ideas can be traced back to the Egyptian radical Muhammad al-Faraj who was executed by Cairo in 1982 for his role in the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. Faraj's pamphlet, the Neglected Obligation, was influenced by works of al Banna, Maududi and Qutb that brought their incipient absolutizing ideas to their ultimate conclusion. Faraj asserted that the "Qur'an and Hadist were fundamentally warfare". He also said that not just infidels but even Muslims who deviated from the moral and social dictates of shariah were 49 Author visited this pesantren in 2005 50 This year, Nasir Abbas, a reformed Jamaah Islamiyah member told the author that one of the Kuningan bombers was inspired by Samudra's book to join 'the Jihad'. On last August 2005 in Ambon police detention, Asep Djaja (31), one of KOMPAK members who were involved in the police attack in Seram Island expressed the same thing to the author. 51 Author's interview with Achmad Mihdan in 2003 14 legitimate targets for jihad"52.While on Samudra's global awareness such as his word: "Remember, the main duty of Muslims is Jihad in the name of God, to raise arms against the infidels, especially now the United States and its allies" had been inspired by the teaching of charismatic Palestinian Abdullah Azzam, a key mentor of Osama bin Laden. Azam met the family of Qutb and was friendly with the "blind sheikh" Omar Abdur Rahman who would later be implicated in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York. Conclusion The prevailing assumption has been that Jamaah Islamiyah is the only organization with the expertise, international ties, and ideology to constitute a likely partner in South East Asia for al-Qaeda or another international terrorist group. Interviews in the field indicate that this risk analysis of radical Muslim violence in Indonesia needs to be revised. Jama'ah Islamiyah, however, will continue to constitute a longer-term security threat for Indonesia. This is not only because its leaders believe that military force is necessary to achieve an Islamic state, but also because the religious indoctrination and recruitment efforts they are engaged in are likely to produce at least some cadres more hot-headed than their teachers, who look beyond Indonesia to a more international agenda. The arrest or the killing of the top leader of the group does not translate into the end of the group. Therefore, it is important to target midlevel terrorist leaders, discrediting top-level leaders and disrupting their support networks. At the same time, it is increasingly clear that there are many smaller, local groups in Indonesia, some of whose members have Afghan or Mindanao training, whose deep-seated grievances could lead them to draw inspiration from the bin-Laden fatwa. It is, of course, 52 Juergensmayer, Mark, Terror in the Mind of God: Global Rise of Religion Violence ( Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2000), p.81 one thing to draw inspiration and another to work with a group like al-Qaeda to pull off a major attack. It remains important to keep the threat of terrorism in perspective. Indonesia is not about to be overrun with jihadists. They remain the radical fringe of a radical fringe. Their capacity to do damage, however, continues to be cause for serious concern. The counter-terrorism lessons include: Far more attention needs to be paid to understanding recruitment methods of jihadist organisations, not just JI but also local groups with more parochial concerns. More attention also needs to be given to the religious indoctrination these groups undertake, including books published by jihadists. While understanding that the same material taught by different teachers can lead in very different directions. Top priority should be to prevent the emergence of the kind of international training center that Afghanistan provided in the past. The personal bonds established there are almost certainly more important than ideology or money in facilitating partnerships among jihadist groups. Democratic reforms, especially an impartial, credible legal system, a neutral and competent law enforcement agency, and better access to justice, remain absolutely essential to preventing the kind of vigilantism that radical groups can manipulate. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Home is just a click away. Make Yahoo! your home page now. http://us.click.yahoo.com/DHchtC/3FxNAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Reading only, http://dear.to/ppi 4. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 6. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
