Trends for
Radicalism and Violent Extremism in Asia
(Indonesian Case)
Musdah Mulia
Executive Summary
Indonesia is currently facing a situation of escalating
intolerance, radicalism, terrorism and violent extremism. Some regions are
showing a worrying trend of intolerance combined with increasing political
identity issues. Young people are vulnerable to exposure to radicalism that
tends to be anti-pluralistic. As a nation that is open to the outside world,
Indonesia is feeling the impact of the global war against terrorism. The root
of the problem is global political injustice that gives rise to poverty, social
disparity, and oppression steeped in exclusive theology. And so anti-West,
anti-America, anti-capitalism, anti-modernity, anti-globalization, and anti-thagut slogans are emerging. Terrorism
uses religion for justification.
The roots of Islamic radicalism have been
present in Indonesia since the early years of independence, and some experts
even say that it was eveident since long before that. The Islamic State
Indonesia movement (NII) was a very strong indication in that direction. The
remain followers of this organization have joined Al-Qaeda and ISIS. They take advantage of any sign of the
government’s weaknesses. If the government is weak, then these Islamic groups
become stronger. This situation is further aggravated by the expansion of the
HTI as a trans-national organization. In addition, ISIS is using the Internet
as a media to spread their ideology and terror at the same time. The ISIS
terrorist network, including in Indonesia, has changed strategies by using the
media for propaganda, and lone wolves. The current trend of terrorists is no
longer dominated by adult males, but also by women and even children.
Therefore, CVE
measures must undergo a fundamental change. Aside from taking advantage of
sophisticated technology, the approach used must adopt the principles of
justice and gender equality as well as rely on the experience of women. Women
are effective weapons as counter-terrorism agents through creation of
strategies and community-based programs. Women (wives) can also be seen as the important
agents to strengthen the spirit of nationality through the values of
tolerance.
The government must think of a comprehensive counter-terrorism
strategy combined with efforts to promote pluralism within a civilized and
democratic framework in a systematic way. In addition to all that, the
government must also resolve the root causes of terrorism, namely injustice,
poverty and social disparity. Then the government must settle the various
internal conflicts that have never been resolved as well as the political
dissatisfaction that has been an ongoing problem for so long. At the same time,
there is a need for concrete counter ideology measures through education in the
widest sense of the word, including counter radicalism and terrorism efforts
through moderate and family-based religious education.
Finally, the government must always prioritize a human rights framework. The government and the civil society need to synergize and work
together to improve the quality of education in politics of citizenship,
democracy, human rights and Pancasila values. In implementing those educational
programs, the government needs to involve civil society organizations and
women’s NGOs, political parties, religious community organizations,
professional and entrepreneur groups, cultural, arts and disability groups. It
is only then that we can achieve an Indonesia that is democratic, pluralist,
advanced and prosperous.
Trends for
Radicalism and Violent Extremism in Asia
(Indonesian Case)
Musdah Mulia
I. Background
International
attention began to focus intensively on terrorism ever since the WTC bombing on
September 11, 2001. The world was appalled by the incident that took the lives
of 5.700 civilians. This tragedy enraged the US and culminated in the president
George W. Bush, making a controversial statement that the mastermind behind the
WTC tragedy was Osama Bin Laden with the Al-Qaeda Network based in Afghanistan.
The US, in collaboration with its allies, launched air attacks against the
military bases and weapons installation of the Taliban army suspected of
protecting Osama Bin Laden. The US anti-terrorism movement began with attacks
on October 7, 2001, where the world’s focus shifted from the US to Afghanistan.
As
a country that is open to the world, Indonesia has felt the impact of the
global war against terrorism. Not long after the WTC tragedy, Indonesia
suffered a terrorist attack by the Jamaah
Islamiyah (JI). A series of terrorist incidents followed in Indonesia, such
as the Bali Bombing 1, 2002, the Bali Bombing II in 2005, bombing of several
embassies, foreign vital objects, the JW Marriot hotel in Jakarta, and other
bombing incidents that took place sporadically in several locations within
Indonesia
The
Bali Bombing was not the first such incident in Indonesia. In 2000, on
Christmas Eve to be exact, several bombing incidents took place in a number of
churches in Jakarta. Following those Christmas bombings,
several radical acts by way of bombing happened. These incidents were linked to
the radical views of Osama Bin Laden. When he saw how Israel was oppressing the
Palestinian people in Gaza, he became determined to wage war against all the
infidel allies of Israel. In his view, the West and all its allies were
treating Muslims unjustly, particularly Muslims in the Palestine. This global
injustice then became a crucial issue that kept on being reproduced and seemed
convincing to some Muslims in the world. Anti-West then turned into
Anti-America, a nation considered as a super-power state that was controlling
the world.
Osama
Bin Laden was deadly serious. He apportioned all his property towards the jihad
against the West and its allies. Aside from his property, he also issued two fatwas. The first one was issued in 1996
and it said: “All Muslims across the world must break off any relationship with
infidel oppressors, and this includes abandoning any western-oriented life
style. Muslims must return to the sunnah and leave all forms of bid’ah
as well as any kind of deviation influenced by the West.” The next fatwa was
issued in 1998: All Muslims in the world have the obligation to fight for and
uphold pure Islamic values and reiterate a global caliphate that will unite all
Muslims around the world under one power and uphold the laws of Allah.
Not
long after Osama issued those fatwas, Ba’asyir and Sungkar returned to
Indonesia.
Two years later, Ba’asyir established the Majelis
Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) in 2000.
This event reiterated the connection between Ba’asyir and Osama’s movement,
demonstrated among others by the tone of the speech he gave on the opening of
the first congress of the MMI. Ba’asyir openly urged for sermons and jihad.
Ba’asyir also emphasized on the importance of owning ruhul jihad (endless love forr jihad and martyrdom) and knowledge
about fiqhul qital, namely learning
about war tactics and strategies and how to use weapons.
Ricklefs even goes so far as to say that the books provided in Ba’asyir’s
Islamic Boarding School, in Ngruki, included volumes on guerilla warfare and
strategies, books written by Osama Bin Laden’s mentor, Abdullah Azzam. It is
important to note that August of 2000 marked the beginning of a series of
suicide bombings in Indonesia.
However,
there are some who believe that during the early years of reforms, what began
to develop was radicalism based on ethnicity. This can be seen from the various
collective violence and social unrest that took place in Sampit, Poso, and
Ambon. This type of radicalism then underwent a transformation into terrorist
radicalism.
Bombing
incidents that happened in Indonesia during the period between 2000 and 2018
were frequently considered as terrorist activities. Terror and terrorism became
two popular and seemingly inseparable words for the public, the mass media and
government following the WTC incident in 2001. The term terrorism was
furthermore used to describe every act using bombs or violence for political
purposes. So far, the definition of terrorism is
an ongoing debate although experts have come up with a description of terrorism
for legal purposes. Every nation defines terrorism based on their book of law
to regulate, prevent and mitigate terrorism.
Many popular figures
such as Richard
Dawkins and Sam Harris blame religious ideology as the main cause of terrorism.
In his book, The God Delusion, Dawkin views religion as a virus that
manipulates people to sacrifice all the resources they own (including their
lives) for the existence of that religion itself. Similarly, Sam Harris views
the holy book as a source of intolerance and
violence against those of different religions. However, violent
and radical acts involve more complex factors than merely ideological
(religious) narratives. The fact is that only a small number of
people with jihadist-salafist
ideology choose to carry out acts of terror in the name of religion.
The
fact is that since 2002 to now, terrorist acts have had different motives.
Between 2000-2009 most terrorist acts have been based on an Anti-West
sentiment. Although in 2003 the suicide bombing at the Australian Embassy by
Heri Gholun was grounded on a desire for revenge due to the sentence given to
the Bali bombers, it is still categorized as an anti-West motive. And then from
2011-2016 and even until the last minute yesterday, the motive for terrorism
shifted to anti-thaghut or in other words, declaring war on the enemies
of Islam. The target of those terrorist acts is the state, in this case, the police
force, considered as a representation of the state in obstructing the
terrorists’ movement. In time, the anti-thagut
and anti-West motives culminated in one incident of suicide bombing by Afif,
Dian and Ali on January 14, 2016 at Thamrin Street, Jakarta.
Aside from groups
affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS, we have the transnational organization
namely the Hizbut Tahrir or better known as HTI. The goal of this group
is to establish a Caliphate of Islamic State that is not segregated by
territories within a nation, for which the leader shall absolutely be a
Caliphate. The Hizbut Tahrir's key figure is Taqiyuddin An-Nabhani, and in
fact, the reference for HT's ulemas is the book “Nidzamul Islam” by
Nabhani. One section of
the book contains a radical viewpoint about the types of states. For Hizbut
Tahrir, there are only two forms of states, namely an Islamic State and a
Kaffir State. This radical view has
been the catalyst for HT's followers to wage a jihad to establish an Islamic
State. For the purpose of establishing a caliphate, HT doesn't always use
peaceful ways, but also employs violence, and even terror. This has happened in
some countries like Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, where the Hizbut Tahrir have
tried to infiltrate the government and carry out a coup d'etat against the
rightful government. These views and indications of going against
the government has become the basis for the prohibition of the Hizbut Tahrir in
some countries, including Indonesia.
II. Trends of Domestic
Extremism/Intolerance Exploring
The
roots of Islamic radicalism in Indonesia have been evident since the early
years of independence. Not long after the Renville Agreement, Sekarmadji
Maridjan Kartosoewirjo perceived the Indonesian government’s failure to
maintain its sovereignty. He found that because of that agreement, West Java
became an area that was vacuum of power. Thus in 1949, together with his
followers, he proclaimed the Darul
Islam/Tentara Islam Indonesia (DI/TII) or the Islamic Army of Indonesia in
West Java.
During the1950s, this movement spread to Central Java through Amir Fatah (it
remained stagnant due to lack of significant support); Aceh with its central
figure Tengku Daud Beureuh; South Kalimantan, led by Ibnu Hadjar; and South Sulawesi under the command of Kahar
Muzakkar.
All
movements of the DI/TII were halted through military operations. The West Java
wing of the DI/TII ceased as of June of 1962 and Kartosoewirjo was arrested.
This was followed by Aceh in December 1962 where the movement ended peacefully.
One year later, in 1963, Ibnu Hajar’s troops were defeated. In February of
1965, Kahar Muzakar died in an armed ambush. However the insurgence of the
South Sulawesi DI/TII was totally eradicated in July of 1965.
Records of the Indonesian Anti-Terrorist Agency show that some small groups
remain to carry on the DI/TII movement, but they are more of an underground
organization. According to Ricklefs, in around 1974, Sungkar and Ba’asyir were
introduced to a secret group that was the remains of the Darul Islam movement. Our fight is in accordance with their
principles, said Ba’asyir.
In the midst of this conspiracy, the Jamaah
Islamiyah emerged as a clandestine terrorist organization.
Subsequently,
according to Ricklefs, in 1985, Sungkar and Ba’asyir fled to Malaysia through
Medan.
They remained hidden in Malaysia until the downfall of Soeharto’s regime in
1998.
When they were in Malaysia, Sungkar and Ba’asyir sent several of
DI/TII cadres to Afghanistan. Initially, it was in support of the jihad of the
Muslims there, but further progressed as a military training for the cadres. It
was since then that the JI and Al-Qaeda network became closely linked.
According
to Sidney Jones in some cases, intolerants (radical ones) can transform into
terrorists. A number of intolerant groups in Cirebon became suicide bombers, as
in the case of the incident in the Al-Dzikra mosque. In fact, these two
groups were headed by committee members of the Indonesian Ulemas Council and
one university lecturer.
Naipospos and a team from the Setara Institute also noted the same thing
regarding the transformation of radical groups into terrorist groups. This is
due to the fact that terrorist movements, to borrow the term used by Gerlach,
has become a SPIN organization, meaning it is segmented (scattered), polycentric
(having many leaders), and is an integrated network. In such organizations,
what frequently happens is an overlapping between organizations. One person can
be a member of different organizations within one period of time
Fathali
Moghaddam gives this illustration: A terrorist can go through five internal
psychological phases. First of all, an individual seeks a solution for what
he feels is unfair treatment. At the second level, this individual builds up
his physical condition to divert the solution to his problem by way of an
attack. The individual who actively seeks opportunities to launch his attacks
then levels up to the next phase, which takes the form of attacking those he
thinks are his enemies. The third phase is where this individual asserts his
identity by adopting the moral values of his group. The most crucial phase is
when he moves from the third level to the fourth where after a person joins a
terrorist organization, with little or no possibility of leaving alive, this
person, at the fifth phase, becomes prepared and motivated psychologically to
carry out acts of terror.
The
illustration given by Moghaddam explains the condition of Sungkar and Ba’asyir
very well.
The first stage was when they fled to Malaysia because they felt they were
being treated unfairly in Indonesia. The second phase was when they sent a
number of JI cadres to Afghanistan to prepare themselves physically (military
training). When they felt they were ready, they then launched their attacks on
those they considered their enemies and so on and so forth.
When
we trace back incidents of terror that have taken place from time to time in
Indonesia (since the return of Sungkar dan Ba’asyir), especially after the WTC
tragedy, we can see that there has been a shift of targets. According to
Sholahudin,
prior to 2010, terrorist groups in Indonesia always targeted Western symbols or
far enemies. After that, they changed
their target from far enemy to near enemy. Their main target was the
government, particularly the police and the army based on an anti-thagut motive.
If they had permanent targets from year to year, it was the churches.
The
death of Osama bin Laden in 2011 was a blow to Al-Qaeda. In the meantime, Ayman
Al-Zahwari who replaced him was considered a failure in regard to leading
Al-Qaeda. As a consequence, the terrorist network in Indonesia had to cease
operations because funding from that source stopped. In the process, followers
of Osama split into different groups. Abu Bakar Al-Baghdhadi took advantage of
this chaos in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq who were invaded by
the US, and declared the establishment of ISIS. ISIS then became a source of
reference for terrorist groups in Indonesia through the alumni network from the
Middle East. The entry point was JAT, which in turn produced new cells such as
the Jamaah Ansharu Daulah (JAD) led
by Aman Abdurahman,
the Jamaah Ansharu Syariah (JAS) led
by Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, the Khatibatul
Iman led by Abu Husna alias Abdur Rohim, the Khatibah Nusantara led by Bahrumsyah,
who had a close relationship with Bahrunnaim, the Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) led by Santoso in Poso, Central
Sulawesi. Santoso was an ISIS supporter and received aid to establish a
caliphate in South East Asia. Specifically in the case of JAD and JAT, both are
linked to the Jamaah Anshoru Khilafah
Daulah Nusantara formed in 2015. All those organizations had the same vision
as the DI.
Since
the establishment of ISIS, there has been major transformations in terms of the
strategy and actors of terror. Among others, ISIS used the Internet to spread
their propaganda and terror. These efforts were not without success. This is
proven by a confirmation from the BNPT in March 2015, that 541 Indonesian
citizens joined ISIS. This shows an extraordinary increase in the number of
ISIS followers from 56 persons in August 2014. However, with the weakening of
ISIS following the destruction of Mosul and Raqqa, an ISIS terrorist network,
including in Indonesia, they appear to have changed their strategy through the
media and lone wolves.
Terrorists are no longer dominated by men and adults, but women and even
children became actors of terror, whether those who went directly to Syria as
well as those who stayed in the country.
II. a. Women's
Involvement with Radical Islamic Groups in Indonesia
In many
discussions on terrorism is currently focused on issues concerning law
enforcement efforts, cooperation between defense institutions, analysis of
legal policies, and definitions of terrorism. Women (especially wives) are
excluded from the process of dialogue and response to terrorism. Apparently the most recent trend in terrorism
is to turn women into perpetrators. If terrorist acts in the past had a
masculine face and used a patriarchic approach, recent trends of terror use
women (wives) as executors using a feminine approach. The main motivation for
women involved with this radical Islamic groups is theological. Initially, they
were exposed to a radical understanding of Islam, such as the obligation to
kill all kaffirs (non-Muslims). They firmly believe the obligation to
establish an Islamic state through jihad.
Women must join in the jihad movement in defense of an oppressed Islam. Mostly of
them are recruited through marriage with their own husband carrying out a
systematic effort to instill a radical Islamic ideology through
“brain-washing”. This means that they are purposely wedded to then instill
radical ideas in their minds. Quite a number of them get married in jail.
Others are wedded after they have received radical indoctrination. This phenomena
indicates that there is a strong indoctrination from the husband about the
teachings of extremism and that the wife experiences a struggle to internalize
the teaching. It is also very interesting to note that there are findings that
show wives also negotiate with their husbands in carrying out the teachings of
extremism. This can be taken to mean that the wife's figure experiences the
process of constructivism and relational autonomy in the struggle process and
its negotiations so far. In addition, the wife can also be seen as an agent to
strengthen the spirit of nationality through the values of tolerance.
History shows that women have been involved in wars or other acts with
elements of violence, fighting side by side with their male counterparts. Some
of them even led violent acts, such as Joan of
Arc (France),
Golda Meier (Israel), or Cut Nyak Dhien (Indonesia).
This is in contradiction to the strong perception that “women by nature tend to
prefer peace, being moderate, willing to compromise, and taking a tolerant
stance, or the strong conviction of
those in various parts of the world that women should be prevented from
involvement in any form of violence, including sending them to war. The facts show
that those perceptions and general views are more a myth than a reality.
In the past few years, the reality shows that women’s
involvement in terrorist acts continue to escalate. In
countries such as Germany, Ireland and Italy in Europe, in Peru in Latin
America, also in Gaza and the West Bank in Occupied Zones in Israel, Palestine
up to Russia, Chechnya, Sri Lanka and India, Turkey and other regions, including
the latest developments taking place in Iraq and Jordan, terrorist groups are
relying more and more on women to carry out their acts. These women play a
variety of roles as informants, spies, recruiters, acting as human shields, or
just becoming objects to satisfy the sexual needs of male terrorists, which is
something that cannot be neglected.
In the past two decades, making the most of technology for the
achievement of terrorist causes, women have participated in managing terrorist
organization publications or websites on the Internet. Women’s role in
terrorist suicide acts, turning their bodies into lethal weapons, has
intensified.
According to
Bahrun Naim, leader of ISIS from Indonesia, the need to recruit women in acts
of terror is because less and less men are willing to become terrorists. He
further said: “If in Syria, women are not obligated to carry out amaliyah acts, in Indonesia women are
allowed to do so because men are more cowardly.” This can be seen in a telegram
conversation on June of 2016, Another factor is that women are considered more
easily influenced, especially those who
have problematic marriages.
Women are also
deemed very loyal to religious teachings
and ideology, and thus more militant when carrying out assignments. This is
especially true for women who have had traumatic experiences, been a victim of
domestic violence or are facing problems within their families, or divorce.
When brainwashed with radical concepts, women can carry out their mission with
a vengeance, becoming even more militant than men.
A number of
reasons have emerged as to women’s involvement in violence. Firstly, compared to men, they usually
have more freedom of movement and are not too prone to suspicion by security
personnel, and this adds to their value of involvement compared to their male
counterpart. This added value has increased mostly because suspicion of
possible suicide acts have recently increased as well. Secondly, women’s involvement as suicide bombers has its
own attraction for the media, mostly because we are now a digital era, news of
such happenings can be shared not only quickly but also in a more powerful
manner. This is due to the dramatic effects of actions using women as a weapon,
which in turn will strengthen and empathize the struggle of terrorism they are
representing and
increases sympathy for their cause. Thirdly, these women’s involvement in suicide attacks may
encourage men to engage in the same activities. If women can do it, then men
should be able to do so as well, although this amplifies the prevailing
stereo-typing. And fourthly, involvement of women can also
be considered as an indicator of women’s increasing equality with men in society,
regardless of whether those women are aware what bases their actions, because
there is a lot of speculation that these woman (some of whom are still
children) have been manipulated by their leaders who are mostly men. In Indonesia, in 2015 and 2016, there have been more than 250 deportees
among which half of them are women and children (they usually travel as
families). Between January to March of 2017,
the number of deportees has reached more than 140 persons, and 79% out of those
people are women and children. They are held in centers provided by the
Ministry of Social Affairs for interrogation.
Women’s status as wives
Other studies
state that even global terrorist groups are benefitting from involvement of women
in their organization, not only as recruiters but also as free propaganda
cells. In Indonesia, data from
the Directorate General of Correctional Facilities states that up until October
2016, the number of terrorist convicts are 223 persons. Since the enactment of
Law No. 15 of 2003 on Terrorism, already 9 women have been declared as being
involved in and having a role as terrorist crimes. They are the wives of
terrorists. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Deradicalization of the National
Agency for Combating Terrorism (BNPT) states that 51 women who are wives of
terrorists have been put into a deradicalization program.
Cases of women’s
roles as wives or prospective wives in the terrorist movement in Indonesia
first emerged in the case of Dian Yulia Novi. Dian admitted that she underwent
an indoctrination process called the jihad
qital through the Internet by her own husband, Nur Solihin. Nur Solihin himself is a
follower of Bahrun Naim. This case drew public attention
because it was the first case where a wife in Indonesia is recruited as a
suicide bomber, through means of marriage. Another case which was carried out
by Santoso where the three wives of the leader of the group who were taken
along and joined in the fight in the forest. Not only that, the facts that
eventually emerged is that because of the sexual needs of the leaders of this
group, namely Santoso, Ali Kalora and Basri, their wives were ordered to join
in the fight. This was revealed when security forces found birth control pills
at the time they raided the terrorists’ hide out.
Prior to the
involvement of terrorists’ wives becoming known to the public, the Centre for
Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies (PAKAR), recounted that 9 wives were involved
in terrorist crimes up to 2015 based in a study that was released in early
2016. Six among those women
ended up being tried in criminal court while the others were released because
there was no proof of their involvement. Those nine women are wives of
terrorists, and they were victims of terrorist activities carried out by their
husbands and the terrorist movement that aspired for the establishment of an
Islamic state.
The study by PAKAR
illustrated how wives were taken advantage of by their husbands, by providing
help or caring for the needs of their husbands and the group. Not only that,
the majority of those women weren’t aware that what they did on the orders of
their husbands was part of helping terrorist groups, and they were not even
aware that their husbands were affiliated with a terrorist group. This study
also explains that the wives of those terrorists were being victimized during
in life since the time they were arrested till the time they were released from
prison, causing them to be alienated from their families, isolated, vulnerable
and economically incapacitated because they could not provide for their
families due to isolation and because they bore the status of ex-convicts and
even “widows of terrorist”. Support and protection from the State for the wives
of terrorists seem to be rather half-hearted.
On September 22,
2016, Indonesian security personnel at the Soekarna-Hatta Airport succeeded in
preventing the departure of 7 Indonesian citizens who were going to fly to
Syria to join ISIS, one among them was a woman strongly suspected as the funder
for the project. The interest and appeal
for women to join terrorist movement triggered an important question. What made
it so appealing for women that they were willing to risk their lives? There are
at least four triggering factors for this attraction.
First, religious
factors. Elizabeth Pooley found many Muslims in England were drawn to join ISIS
because they were convinced that Islam was under attack; a strong desire to
establish a new society, free from thagut (enemies of Allah); religious
obligation that women should defend Islam and the chance to become part of and
finding a meaningful life goal in a “caliphate sisterhood”. Second, an
ideological factor. These women are attracted
to the ideology of terrorism, one that
is militant and strongly resonates a fight to uphold justice. Third, a
political factor. Poverty, social inequality, violation of Human Rights, and
discrimination are the narratives developed in a terrorist movement and for
women, these are the factors that trigger a sense of anguish that consequently
sets off potential political violence against the State. Extreme radical
methods narrated by terrorist group have persuaded many women to join in the
fight against an oppressive government. In Indonesia’s context, a political
defeat for hard-line religious groups has prompted an escalation of terrorist
movement carried out by groups who feel marginalized. They use media framing to
give the impression that the State is negligent towards those who belong to the
majority group in this country. That is why the target of terrorist acts is
State symbols and institutions. Fourth, a personal factor. Based on the
case of Shannon Conley, Anne Speckhard in her book Bride of ISIS, says that ISIS motivates
young Western women through the internet and persuades them to leave their
countries and become the wives of jihadists or become domestic terrorists in
their home country.
Women become the
target of religious fundamentalist groups because they still have religious
legitimacy to do so. Religious legitimacy is even supported by values that are
basically patriarchic in nature. It is not surprising that when a country or
society experiences fundamentalism, domestication and the likes, women usually
become the first political agenda. Why is that? The reason is because the
socio-political cost of women’s domestication is very low and easy in the sense
that within a patriarchic society, domestication of women will be not face
significant socio-political resistance.
Fundamentalist
views are very derogatory to a woman’s life. This is because those views
generally reject the concept of gender equality and equity, birth control and
all the elements thereof, such as the use of contraception. They also reject
sex education and reproductive health so that women have no understanding of
their sexual and reproductive rights. They reject HIV/AIDS patients and People
Living with HIV/AIDS, considering them cursed; they reject LGBT groups,
protection for rape victims; they reject protection for commercial sex workers,
and no less dangerous is that they encourage child marriage and polygamy.
Muslims who preserve fundamentalism have a manipulative tendency and use
Islamic teachings to legitimize patriarchic power and isolate women from the
public sphere. General observation of women’s civil and political rights under
Islamic regimes in the world, clearly shows that fundamentalists contrain women
in regard to their civil and political rights. Iran’s Islamic Constitution of
1979, following the victory of the revolution, for example, although not
explicitly emphasizing women’s subordination as second-class citizens, has
actually restricted the civil and political rights of women in the public
sphere.
Under the excuse of purifying religion and returning to the Al-Qur’an dan
Hadith texts, Islamic fundamentalism underlines the difference between the
rights of men and women. In their view, God has purposely made the two human
beings different and that difference is not a discrimination but it is for the
happiness of mankind. The conclusion is tht fundamentalism persuades us to
return to religion. However, in the context of women, what they claim to be
purification of religion is actually domestication of women. In short,
fudamentalism promotes politics that is anti-democracy, anti feminism,
anti-pluralism, and anti-humanism.
Women’s role in terrorism movement
There are three
roles women play in terrorist actions, and they are: First, as followers and loyal
companions. Mostly these women are still at the stage of domestication of
women. This means that they are not the principal actors but only function as
wives, loyal followers and mothers of prospective terrorists. Second, as
propaganda experts and recruiting agent. Some women involved in terrorist
movements such as ISIS are not allowed to go into battle, but their role,
especially on social media, is as propaganda experts, religious lecturers, and
recruiters for ISIS using a recruitment approach that relies on friendship and
relationship.
There are at least two roles of social media. First, as a forum for
women to learn more about terrorism, the ideology behind terrorism, and they
are inter-connected through fellow supporters or recruiters. These women are
able to recruit potential followers, spread propaganda, or mobilize supporters.
Second, social media reveals various activities of women involved in
terrorist networks and this information is appealing to many people.
Third, as fighters/bombers.
Terrorist groups often use women, especially fair-skinned ones as suicide
bombers. This is because Westerns tend to stereo-type suicide bombers as coming
from Muslim countries. In Indonesia, the first women to be convicted as a
suicide bomber was Dian Yulia Novi. She was planning to blow herself up at the
State Place on Sunday, December 11, 2016. She admitted to having
undergone an indoctrination process called jihad
qital through the Internet by a terrorist propaganda cell and her prospective
husband at the time, Nur Solihin. Nur Solihin is a member
of the network of Bahrun Naim. This case drew public
attention because it was the first time a wife in Indonesia was recruited as a
suicide bomber and the recruitment was achieved through marriage.
II. b. The
Trend of Terrorist Families
The
latest trend in terrorist acts in Indonesia is to exploit family relations. The
bombings in three churches in Surabaya, on Sunday, May 13, 2018, were executed
by one family. They consisted of six persons: the father, the mother, two sons
(18 and 16 year respectively), and two daughters (12 and 9 years old). A
similar incident took place in Surabaya on Monday, May 14, 2018, where a whole
family was involved in a suicide bombing.
In the past, radicalization needed a long and lengthy process. Apparently,
recruiting families seem to be a short cut for a radicalization process.
In
the history of terrorist movements, the “terrorist family” phenomenon is not
something new. A research by Della Porta conducted in 1995 on the Red Brigade
(RB) for example shows that as many as 298 out of 1.214 RB members were blood
relatives or members of the same family, namely the parents, husband, wife,
children, or other relatives. A research by the UN Commission on the WTC
incident also confirmed the “terrorist family” phenomenon. Six out of the 19
hijackers in that incident were related. The 2012 Boston bombers were the
Tsarnaev brothers. the Charlie Hebdo incident in France was perpetrated by the
Kouachi brothers, and in the Paris attack, it was the Abdessalam brothers who
were the actors. In Indonesia, three of the 2002 Bali bombers were brothers,
namely Ali Ghufron, Amrozi, and Ali Imron.
How
is this “terrorist family” network formed? Initially, in order to establish a
network, recruitment through family relations and marriage was considered the
eaiest method. In simple words, terrorist group members would first try to
influence their family members to join their movement. They would also try to
marry their relatives or daughters to other members of the terrorist group.
Examples of this are when Abdullah Azzam married his daughter to his follower,
Abdullah Anas from Algeria, when Abu Muzab al-Zarqawi married a sister of his
close friend, Khaled al-Aruri, when Osama bin Laden was married to Amal
al-Sada, the daughter of a Yamanese tribal chief to make recruitment of new
Al-Qaida members in that country much easier. In Indonesia, Ali Ghufron married
Paridah Abas, the sister of Nasir Abas, a fellow alumni from Afghanistan.
Baharuddin Latif, too, married his daughter Arina Rahma to Noordin M. Top and
so on.
Family
relation and marriage are the most effective method in forming “terrorist
families” because there is a psychological influence that binds one to the
other and ensure mutual support. Through this method, not only do they become
members of the same terrorist group, but also members of the same family. (a
family bond). Mutual support has an affective and cognitive connotation.
Affective because they have a close relationship (intimate) as a family.
Cognitive is in the sense that that closeness can be used as an instrument of
peer-pressure, guaranteeing loyalty of the members thus forming a very strong
solidarity network. Also, due to tighter surveillance by security forces,
terrorists are staring to use other recruitment methods within a closed group
that does not easily give rise to suspicion, such as in family groups. Since
there are binding elements within a family, such as love, trust and life-long
commitment, it is easier for terrorists to recruit followers.
In
terms of recruitment, involving and employing relatives, especially through
marriage is much more effective because building trust is easier with family
members than with acquaintances. Especially when surveillance by security
forces is very tight, terrorists’ movements are constrained. So terrorists must
take extra care when recruiting members. The least risky option is to
capitalize on family relation or marriage. The implication of this option is
that people with no record of terrorism can suddenly become terrorists because
they were recruited by a relative or married to a member of a terrorist family.
Dzokar Tsarnaev, the Boston bomber was only a spontaneous terrorist simply
because he was asked by his brother, Tamerlan Tzarnaev.
In
Indonesia’s context, Ali Imron could also be considered a spontaneous terrorist
because he was induced by his brother, Ali Ghufron. This recruitment
process is usually called a bloc
recruitment, where recruiting a previously formed group is much easier
because of social pressure, a fear of being left behind, and a desire to
maintain relationships. Not only that, bloc recruitment can also minimize
resistance and treachery. The closeness of a family bond and marriage is a more
effective method used by terrorists to establish a network because there is
psychological binding pressure that binds and mutual support. This close family
bond also prevents differing view points between one another, thus strengthening
even more the bond that has been established. When one becomes family, it
becomes much easier to build trust rather than with other people. Also, the
fact that terrorists are under close surveillance of security forces and that
their movements are restricted makes it very imperative for caution when adding
members.
The
most appalling part of this terrorist family trend is the involve of children
as terrorists. The mastermind behind the Paris bombing, Abdel Abaoud, for
example, took along his brother, Younes Abaaoud, who was only 12 years old, to
Syria to join ISIS. He also recruited his female cousin, Hasna, who was 14
years old, to guard his apartment in Saint Denis Paris, who later died in a
subsequent police ambush. During 2013-2016, a large number of extremists from
all over the world (including from Indonesia) left for Iraq and Syria to join
ISIS, and they took their families along with them, including children and
teenagers. These children and teenagers can certainly be considered as spontaneous
extremists because of pressure from their parents. Although they were involved
in the context of terrorists as a group, they are frequently considered part of
a “terrorist family”
The
same thing happened with the bombers of three churches in Surabaya. Dita and
his wife, Puji, went to Syria to join ISIS, taking along their four children.
While in Syria, the children underwent a radicalization process (at a different
level than the adults of course). That is why, when they returned to Indonesia,
Dita could easily involve and exploit his wife and four children in the
terrorist act they carried out.
It
can be concluded that the terrorist family trend emerged because
characteristically, terrorist groups need a high level of trust and solidarity.
Therefore family bond and marriage are very important in their actions. Another
factor is minimizing the potential for recruiting the wrong persons, meaning
those who are less reliable and loyal which can pose a danger in terms of
secrecy, and to the unity and existence of the terrorist group itself.
So
how do we prevent and mitigate this “terrorist family” phenomenon? In today’s
digital 4.0 era, many lone fighters have emerged, meaning terrorists who are
not an integral part of mainstream terrorist organizations. Due to tighter
surveillance by security forces, the prospect of more lone fighters emerging as
families is getting larger. To overcome this, prevention and deradicalization
efforts must be viewed as a ‘family’ package and even as an ‘extended family’
package approach. When a father becomes a suspected terrorist, the target of
mitigation should also include his wife and children and maybe his relatives
suspected as having been exposed to radical and extremist ideologies. The
contrary is also true, meaning that when an offspring child has been arrested
for terrorist acts, the family should also be investigated, in this case the
siblings, parents or other relatives, particularly those with the most
potential to be asked to join a ‘terrorist family’. In other words, mitigation
of terrorists should focus not only on holistic methods, but also on
humanitarian values in accordance with Human Rights principles.
III. National Policy
The government must
have the ability to prevent strengthening of radical groups, and this can be
achieved through three ways. First,
the government should open a channel of
democratic political participation for Islamic groups. Second, the government must carry
out a systemic anti-violence strategy on radical Islamic groups that are prone
to acts of violence and terrorism. Third,
the government must implement an ‘effective State’ that guarantees safety
and legal certainty on the one side, and education as well as social services
on the other, to the majority of the population,
In
order to counter radicalism and terrorism, the government has issued Government
Regulation In Lieu of a Law (Perppu) No
2 of 2002 on Eradication of Terrorism. This is followed by Government
Regulation In Lieu of a Law (Perppu) No.
2 of 2002 on utilization of Perppu No. 1 to conduct investigations on the Bali
Bomb case. In addition, the government also declared the Jamaah Islamiah as the organization responsible for the Bali Bom
terror. In further developments, Perppu No. 1 of 2002 was then enacted in Law
No. 15 of 2003 on Eradication of Terrorist Crimes, and Perppu No. 2 of 2002 was
enacted in Law No. 16 of 2003.
Aside from enacting laws, the government has also formed the Densus 88 (Special Detachment) in 2002.
In addition to establishing a unit assigned with the duty to deal with
terrorists, the government also formed the National Counter Terrorisms Agency
(BNPT) in 2010 with its main duty and function to counter terrorism.
In
other words, the Indonesian government chooses to eradicate terrorism through a
law-enforcement model. This is evident from the government’s enactment and
implementation of laws. Almost all the terrorist have been arrested by the
Densus 88 based on prevailing laws. According to Suhadi, head of the BNPT, Law
No. 15 of 2003 on Countering Terrorism has become the most complete Law at the
present time, because it contains three important aspects in countering
terrorism, namely prevention, enforcement and protection for victims as well as
compensation,
In
addition, the government’s measures to prevent terrorism and radicalism include
involving the civil society, particularly for advocacy in several regions based
on a Human Rights framework.
This framework has in fact been implemented long before the issue of terrorism
became rampant. Some of the initiatives include establishment of the
Coordinating Forum for the Prevention of Terrorism (FKPTP),
as a forum for the prevention of terrorism in 32 provinces involving the
regional government, academicians, the police and ulemas. In today’s context,
the role of local governments become increasingly significant with their
involvement in all prevention measures, as the Police and the BNPT are doing.
In
face of an increasing trend in women as actors of terrorism and families as
terrorists, the BNPT has engaged in a collaboration with a number of Islamic
women’s organizations, such as the Fatayat
NU, Muslimat NU and the
Muhammadiyah women’s groups, namely Aisyiah
dan Nasyiatul ‘Aisyiah and other
women’s NGOs. Among the activities carried out are counter radicalism and
terrorism through religious education that is moderate and family based. This
collaboration is formed to shield families and the public so they are not so
easily exposed to religious ideology based on radicalism and terrorism. This is
important in view of the increasing trend of targeting women and children as
agents of radicalism and terrorism.
The prevention of terrorism and radicalism initiative is also done
in collaboration with religious figures and organizations In Indramayu, for
example, the local government is working with NU to prevent radicalism and thus
Indramayu has become a safe and conducive zone. The next region is in the
District of Pohuwato, a region considered very vulnerable to entry of terrorism
and radicalism ideology. The local government of Pohuwato works together with
inter-faith figures in implementing various measures and policies to strengthen
and empower communities. This includes efforts to strengthen the economy of the
community and implement a dissemination program on the dangers of radicalism.
This program also engages a number of relevant agencies, such as the Ministry
of Religious Affairs and the Police.
A number of Districts and Municipalities have also succeeded in
preventing intolerance, radicalism and violent extremism. Wonosobo, for
example, uses a Human Rights framework to overcome issues of disharmony, and at
the same time engaging the local community in local governance. Wonosobo has
succesfully protected all its citizens including the Ahmadiyah minority group.
Wonosobo has the highest population of Ahamadiyah devotees, numbering around
6.000. One village in Wonosobo, Buntu Village, has been recognized as a Pluralist
Tourist Village in Indonesia because its citizens embraces a tolerant culture
and freedom of religion.
Aside from Wonosobo, the District of Bojonegoro is also considered as an open
district. Bojonegoro has been deemed successful in implementing human rights
principles.
In addition to the local governments, a number of universities
have also declared their institutions as anti radicalism and terrorism.
The leadership of universities, including Islamic Religious Universities has
also participated in monitoring their students to prevent them from being lured
into radicalism. Amount the measures taken are establishing a close
relationship with the students. This closeness will make the students more
open, communicative and free to express their opinions. The students need to be
given ample opportunity to pursue their highest achievements, and each
achievement should be given appreciation by the leadership of the University.
In this way, there will be no room for under-achieving activities.
There needs to be clear guidelines and code of ethics to be
implemented consistently in all student activities, so that all their
activities in and out of the campus are monitored, controlled, credible and
accountable. Requirements should be put in place for use of all facilities on
campus, including use of the prayer room and mosque, in order to avoid misuse
of those facilities. No less important is to evaluate implementation and
content of class subjects and religious classes, whether intra-curricular as
well as extra-curricular, so as to avoid infiltration of intolerant religious
views. Lastly, students must be encouraged to take active part in religious
activities that reflect the moderate views (wasatiyyah) of Islam.
Those various
approaches are known as a conception of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVA) or later also known as Countering
Violent Extremism (CVE). In the
context of Indonesia, this is a relatively new concept because the approach
used so far are security measures with the enactment of the law on Terrorism.
Non-security measures are used in a limited way, such as through a
deradicalization program, and establishing the BNPT. The most important element
of the CVE approach requires sufficient collaboration between all related
parties, whether the government at the national as well as the regional level,
other State agencies, in international cooperation and with civil society
roles. In the framework of this approach, the role of Regional Governments and
local civil society organizations becomes very important to ensure
implementation of prevention of violent extremism at the local level.
In the past few years, CVE has become an
important focus of some CSOs in Indonesia. They also provide assistance for
families of terrorists, convicted terrorists, and terrorist family deportees.
It is difficult to deny, however, that mitigating the issue of terrorists at a
later stage does not have much of an influence in view of the increasing trend
of intolerance. This intolerance trend has become a fertile field and easy
target for terrorists to recruit new members and form new networks.
IV. Analysis and Conclusion
Indonesia
is facing a situation of increasing intolerance, radicalism and violent
extremism. A number of studies have reiterated that since the reforms era, the
main problem that was prevalent before the intensification of terrorism acts,
was intolerance.
Sidney Jones in fact concluded that intolerant groups have transformed into
terrorists.
The existence of these intolerant organizations has given rise to concern that
they will contribute to the emergence of many more terrorist groups. The latest
data shows a greater cause for concern for increasing intolerance, even at the
High School student level.
A
number of regions have shown a worrying trend in intolerance followed by rising
political identity.
Young people who are exposed to religious information filled with suspicion and
hatred tend to reject or oppose other detested groups having their citizenship
rights fulfilled, and justify and support radical actions and movements.
During 2016, the Police have handled 170 terrorism cases, an increase by two
folds the number compared to 2015 where there were 82 cases.
This situation is a threat to the people’s life, to democracy and protection of
human rights.
The
fact that intolerance is gaining momentum is proven by results of some studies,
like the research by PPIM that reveals 51,1 percent of high school/university
students have intolerant views. Those who also stated they would be willing to
carry out intolerant acts number 34.1 percent. The students also have a radical
side which could be problematic in that the study shows 34,3 percent of the
students have radical views and those who are willing to carry out radical acts
are 7.0 percent.
In
addition, the Alvara Institute also reveals a high level of intolerance among
professionals, whether they work for the government, in the private sector or
for State-owned Enterprises. As much as 40,5 percent of Civil Servants agree to
an Islamic State while the remaining 59.5 percent stated they didn’t agree. In
regards to employees of private companies, as much as 34,8 percent stated their agreement of an
Islamic State and rhe rest said they did not agree. In State-owned Enterprises,
the majority or 83.5 percent said they didn’t agree to an Islamic State while
the remaining 16,5 percent said they agreed.
Other potential for radicalism comes from views on the type of the State. As
much as 16 percent of professionals stated that a caliphate state would be the
ideal form for Indonesia compared to its current status as a Unitarian State
(NKRI). This potential for radicalism is even more reinforced by the agreement
for a jihad to establish an Islamic State or caliphate by as many as 19,6
percent.
Another
condition that may raise cause for concern is that terrorists are very actively
using internet-based digital media to spread propaganda content in a fast and
massive manner. Aside from hate speeches attacking pro-democracy groups,
terrorist propaganda also spread hoax content with the aim to generate public
sympathy and support. Including to recruit new terrorists. The younger
generation has become the target of terrorist propaganda in the digital world.
This group are the largest users of the Internet. The Indonesian Association of
Internet Service Providers (APJII) has found that 75,5 percent of internet
users in 2016 were aged between 10 to 24 years old. This shows that terrorists
are targeting the younger generation in a massive way, and based on the survey
done by the PPIM on radicalism among young people, this is truly a worrying
phenomenon.
Radicalism
is a process initiated from an idea and teaching that begins at the individual
level. In this context, early detection by involving women can be very
effective. This is based on the fact that women play a vital role in the
family, particularly in shaping the character of the children. Women also offer
different perspectives when trying to find a solution to problems.
They often employ a more gentle approach compared to men. This is despite a
study on gender that says that feminist perspective is aimed more at
justification on a patriarchic culture that emphasizes on men’s physical
strength and their limited capacity in terms of feelings (negative masculinity)
as well as a recognition on women’s limited physical power and the strength of
their feelings (positive feminity).
Women
are very effective weapons against terrorism when the strategy used is a
community-based one. They need to be empowered as actors to improve security
and for early detection through a community-based program relying on them to
monitor the media and other campaign facilities. There are at least three
things that need to be done in order that women can become agents of peace. First, reduce gender inequality and give
women a larger role to participate in various social activities. Reducing
support for radicalism is the ultimate effort to counter the threat of
terrorism and its source, which is extremism ideology. Strengthening messages
of non-violence and important measures to the community’s strong resilience
needs to be ensured. Further implementation should be in the form of policies
to promote gender equality and elimination of discrimination which can create a
conducive environment to reduce support for extremist ideology.
Second,
strengthen multi-sectoral well being to prevent the emergence of radicalism.
Well-being within the family is mostly a burden placed on women’s shoulders.
Involvement of women in thee efforts can be applied in the multi-sectors of
life such as strengthening the economy, family education, religion, and the
law, and community-based information, as well as early detection. This is
because the root cause of terrorism is personal alienation and inferiority
complex such as poverty, so that developing the economy is a must. There is a
positive link in the success of deradicalization through improved economy based
on education and gender equality.
Third,
turning women into locomotives at the front line in moderate religious
education, especially beginning from, but not limited to, the family
environment. Morocco can be made as an example on counter-terrorism measures
based on education to curb the spread of radicalism. The Moroccan government
created a moderate religious group by training and educating women to develop
an education model with a more moderate understanding of religion. The women
who have been trained are then assigned to work in communities, mosques and
religious classes in the City of Rabat and Casablanca.
Another
factor to take into consideration is the new terrorism trend that is
trans-national, global, and offensive by developing privatization of violence.
The target is to build a psychological infrastructure on the public to force
them to radically change their behavior. Eradication of trans-national
terrorism gives a new dimension of which the process to resolve conflicts
become more complex. To overcome the issue of trans-national terrorism, there
needs to be a collaboration among several countries. First, decision makers
must believe and be able to convince the public that the countering terrorism
is not a battle against religion.
The
government is very aware of those challenges and is determined to take joint
measures to overcome the issue. President Joko Widodo stated that Indonesia is
currently facing a challenge in the views and actions that pose a threat to our
diversity, including the ideology that is in contradiction to Pancasila.
The Vice-President, Jusuf Kalla, has conveyed the same message. In his opinion,
Indonesia is currently experiencing global radicalism symptoms.
The president hopes that all parties actively promote synergy between
democracy, religion and tolerance, and support stability and peace for the
welfare of the people. The president emphasizes the importance of carrying out
a ‘collective action’ to counter violent extremism brought about by global
injustice of which the impact is terrorism in various parts of the worked,
aside from Indonesia.
Other
countries are facing the same situation as Indonesia. The UN has declared that
violent extremism groups have brought about a situation of insecurity and
conflict in various parts of the world, thus undermining collective efforts to
maintain peace and security, sustainable development, protection of human
rights, and promotion of rule of law. Violent extremism poses a threat to the
fulfillment of human rights, such as the right to live, the right to freedom,
the right to security, freedom of expression, freedom of association and
freedom of religion.
One of the characteristics of today’s terrorism is the
intensity of a religious dimension. This brings up two general arguments
related to the root causes of the emergence of terrorism. The
first argument that seems quite dominant explains that poverty, injustice, and
social inequality are fundamental problems that result in a feeling of
helplessness and prompt groups who feel marginalized to fight back, and in the
process the issue of “religious element” is frequently used as a trigger for
rebellion. The second argument, although seemingly less popular, is that
misinterpretation of religious teachings is the factor that prompts a small
number of groups to carry out acts of terror. Terrorism uses religion as a
justification for rebellion and violent acts. This attitude is an impact of
globalization, widespread interaction and interdependence. In the same way, the
anti-modernity stance of radical groups is believed to have emerged from a
cultural condition eroded by globalization, particularly in terms of freedom
for women. Another factor is weakening traditional values that is seen as
disadvantageous to the interest of
established groups.
As
a consequence, the Indonesian government must find the root causes of
terrorism, including finding a way to manage internal conflicts that have never
been resolved and political discontent that has been going on for a long time.
Aside from being caused by internal and local factors, this new form of
terrorism is also triggered by sentiments of anti-West, anti-modernity and
anti-globalist, with the desire to restore a messianic teaching in this modern
century.
In
my opinion, the government must focus their attention on why so many people are
attracted to violent extremism groups. Some studies show, in many countries,
radicalism and violent extremism are driven by many factors, among which are:
social-economic injustice, so many cases of marginalization and discrimination
cases, poor governance which is evident from the quality of public services, a
high level of violation of human rights, weak law enforcement, and continuous
conflicts that are never resolved. 9 Experience in managing the
threat of violent extremism requires a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond
the use of military intelligence and law enforcement mechanisms.10
Prevention of intolerance, radicalism and
violent extremism must be done through policies, programs and interventions
that are aimed at preventing terrorists from achieving their objectives by
using violence as well as to avoid a radicalization process through politics,
culture, and religion. Building a contextual and local peace using an open
approach is one of the methods applied, aside from legal punishment for actors
of hate speech and terrorism. There is also needs to be an ongoing dialogue
with all elements of society, whether religious leaders, local leaders, youth groups, women groups,
executives as well as legislators, and law enforcers in efforts to resolve
conflict and countering activities with intolerant potential. One reasonable
and promising strategy is by establishing a society that is inclusive,
pluralist and just, and based on full respect of human rights, and ensuring
there is ample economic opportunity for all.
In
addition to the government, the civil society should also take measures to
counter terrorist acts. Among the civil society who are actively voicing their
stance are the NU and Muhammadiyah. These two largest Muslim organizations have
the opinion that countering terrorism will not have much success if only the
terrorists are prosecuted. This is because intolerance and radicalism is still
rife in society. There needs to be counter-ideology measures. These two largest
Muslim organizations have long offered an understanding of Islam that is serene
and peaceful, based on rahmatan lil
alamin, which is in contrast with the views of jihadists a la Osama and his
followers. In addition to those two organizations, a number of civil society
organizations also play a role in advocacy, urging the people to adopt an open
and tolerant stance.
Finally, we have to admit that during the transition
period towards democracy, the stability of our nation has been tested by the
numerous conflicts that have emerged.
Based on experience of some countries that have gone through a
transition period towards democracy after the fall of an authoritarian regime,
becoming a democratic nation did not take place automatically. Instead of
achieving democratization, what they faced was in fact a new kind of
authoratarianism which was no less authorotarian than the previous regime. In
fact, even in an established politcial structure, the transition period will
give rise to a temporary legimacy crisis. If the transition process is not
strengthened by consolidation, it is very possible that the legitimacy crisis
will be never-ending. Rampant religion-based violent conflicts that have been
going on since post-reforms to now, is a manifestation of past conflicts that
have finally found room to flourish. Decision makers must believe and be able
to convince the people that the war against terrorism is not a war against
religion.
Therefore, the State must focus on implementing a comprehensive
counter terrorism strategy and combine it with measures to manage pluralism
within a civil democracy framework in a systematic manner as a solution to
overcome radicalism and terrorism. Merely relying on ad-hoc responses that just
prioritize a security aspect are clearly no longer sufficient. The State must
be firm in enforcing the law when radicalism-based violence happens. The Pancasila and the Constitution should be the principal source of reference. The Constitution is the main reference. Law
enforcers must dare to take a neutral and fair stance, although it may be in
contradiction to the interest of the majority. Both stances can only be ascertained
when the elite authorities and decision makers have a comprehensive
understanding of religious teachings, and also have a strong commitment to
national values and the local wisdom of Indonesia. The State must also involve
the civil society and work hand in hand to counter the threat of intolerance,
radicalism and terrorism and the State must always prioritize a human rights
framework.
V. Policy Recommendations
1.
Reassert
the government’s dignity (executive, judicative and legislative) by upholding
values of Pancasila (the State Ideology), the Constitution, democracy and
fulfillment of human rights.
2.
Support
economic actors, ensure social justice and welfare for all in the hope that
those efforts can reduce poverty and prevent increasing social-economic
inequality.
3.
Strengthen
the cooperation network between civil society organizations and the various
elements of society through dialogues for nation building, cultural dialogues
and inter-faith and religious dialogues.
4.
More
open discussions and dialogues with radical groups in order to gradually
achieve a mutual understanding between diverse population.
5.
More
civics education programs based on principles of diversity, tolerance and
pluralism.
6.
Increase
number of media that offer news in a peaceful way, are credible, pro women and
vulnerable groups, uphold principles of equality, justice and peace.
7.
Widespread
dissemination on religious interpretation that is humanist, pluralist and
compatible with universal values of humanity, and in alignment with the State
Ideology and Constitution.
8.
Empower
the people so that they dare to speak up about injustice, intolerance and
discrimination, and encourage them to actively promote a culture of peace.
9.
Encourage
regional governments to reinforce democracy through concrete policies to
minimize discrimination and intolerant practices.
