http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/05/27/identifying-indonesian-%E2%80%98osama%E2%80%99.html
Identifying an Indonesian 'Osama' Al Makin, Yogyakarta | Fri, 05/27/2011 8:00 AM Although Osama bin Laden was killed, radicalism on behalf of Islam - as some of the groomed "heirs" to the throne of al-Qaeda have vowed to avenge the blood of the mastermind and many pundits have prophesized in various media - looks to live on. With or without Osama, extremism, which has given birth to various atrocities, bombs and suicide attacks, goes on. A bomb exploded in Pakistan a week after Osama's death. In Surakarta, hundreds of men masked their faces as they took an oath on the street rallying to retaliate. A few days later, the anti-terror squad arrested and shot dead more suspected "terrorists" in neighboring Sukoharjo. With or without Osama, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) holds its radical faith firmly. This group publicly mourned the death of Osama, whom they regarded as a martyr, and condemned US President Barack Obama, whose figure embodied the super power. Grief, however, does not weaken the FPI's spirit. Nor does it stop them from thinking of a new agenda. This group showed their teeth and fangs in attempting to halt Hanung Bramantyo's pluralism-themed film in Bandung. It appears that the pundits' prophecies and the radicals' vengeances were fulfilled. But be prepared to see more. For two decades, Osama's simple rhetoric filled the air we breathed. His curse of the superpower's hegemony remains enshrined and is repeated in the Internet, Facebook, blogs and Twitter. Due to its simplicity, people easily understand the logic. But with this reasoning, radicals have failed to cope with the reality. They can never comprehend this world's complexity. Nor can they accept their own defeat. In whose figure in Indonesia can Osama's be compared? According to Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a firebrand radical preacher from Ngruki, Sukoharjo whose excessive media coverage has sparked envy from rival jihadist preachers, he is the one whose reputation in terms of jihad is comparable to that of Osama's. It is unclear whether Ba'asyir is proud or unhappy when surrounded by the tight security forces in the court. What is obvious is that he imagines himself as Osama, whose death and life has become a subject of a never-ending debate. Indeed, between Bin Laden and Ba'asyir there are some points worthy of comparison. Of course the two share the same perceptions about a clear-cut division of the world into believers and infidels, perpetual wars against infidels and formation of jihadist networks that operate beyond country and nation. Both see secular government as the main obstacle in their bid to establish an Islamic caliphate. Both Bin Laden and Ba'asyir detest America, which they regard as the enemy of Islam. The two also cursed their own countries. While Bin Laden condemned Saudi Arabia for its relation with the US government, Ba'asyir denounced the Indonesian government and called President Yudhoyono an infidel - a serious offense which the President seems to have never taken into account. No proof confirms that Baasyir's network falls under the command of Osama directly. However, the former hailed the latter on many occasions. Unlike Ba'asyir, top terrorists Umar Patek, Hambali, Noordin M. Top and Abu Jibril were Afghanistan jihadi alumni whose bonds with Osama were strong. According to a source, Ba'asyir visited Afghanistan, but what he did during his stay there remains unclear. What is the difference between Osama and Ba'asyir? While Osama proudly showed his responsibilities for many atrocities, one of which was the 9/11 attack, Ba'asyir has always denied his role in the acts of terror targeting Indonesia. It is tricky business, as Ba'asyir preaches hatred and often hails jihadist actions but denies playing a role. Does Ba'asyir's reputation match that of Osama? It seems unlikely. True, Baasyir is a symbol of Indonesian radicalism for his critical role in propagating the core ideology of Islamism - a role that Osama also played well. However, unlike Osama, Ba'asyir is likely not a foot soldier. Nor is he a commander in the field. But he is somehow in the network taking part as an ideologue and perhaps also fundraiser. Thus, Ba'asyir is a half of Osama. To whom is Osama comparable in Indonesia? Osama is a combination of an image builder like Ba'asyir and a foot soldier like Noordin M. Top, Abu Dujana, Hambali, Azahari and Umar Patek, whom Baasyir knows well. And Osama's threat to the public is as latent as those made by the FPI. The writer is a lecturer at Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University, Yogyakarta. Related News >> a.. Issue: Radicalism: The failure of moderate Islam b.. Radicalism, fundamentalism and discriminatory education c.. Govt should educate parents to fight against terrorism d.. Minister encourages students to be aware of radicalism [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> 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/
