Radical and Militant Islam in Indonesia
Type
Single PanelSchedule
Session 11Thu 14:00-15:30 REC A2.14
Convener
- Kirsten E Schulze London School of Economics
Discussant
- Joseph Liow Nanyang Technological University
Save This Event
Add to CalendarPapers
-
Indonesian jihadi training camps: Home and away
Julie Chernov Hwang Goucher College
Kirsten Schulze London School of Economics
This paper looks at Indonesian training in foreign camps in Afghanistan, the Philippines, and Syria as well as domestic training camps and opportunities in Ambon, Poso, Aceh, and Java. It examines the roles that these camps played not only in building military capacity but also with respect to ensuring organizational continuity, building networks, and fulfilling the obligation of jihad.
- From Non-violent to Violent Radicalization and Vice Versa: Three Case Studies from Indonesia Solahudin Hartman IPAC
-
Violent Extremism in Bima, Indonesia: Radical Milieu and Peacebuilding Efforts
Ihsan Ali Fauzi Center for The Study of Religion and Democracy (PUSAD) Paramadina
Indonesia has been grappling with violent extremist groups since its independence. Among the many places in the country where violent extremist groups have emerged is Bima in West Nusa Tenggara. Bima has a long history of extremist activities, repeated terrorist offences, and, most importantly, sporadic yet strong extremist communities. Bima is often referred to as a place for terrorist recruitment and a safe haven for terrorist fugitives. Yet, despite its significance in Indonesia’s terrorist network, violent extremism in Bima remains understudied. This article aims to fill this gap by exploring how and why extremism became deeply rooted in Bima. By making use of the “radical milieu” framework developed by Malthaner and Waldmann, we try to answer two main questions: First, how and why has the interaction between Bima’s radical milieu with the local extremist groups escalated and/or de-escalated violent extremism? Second, what are the incentives involved in those interactions which could be useful for strengthening peacebuilding in the future? Based on 35 interviews, including with disengaged extremists, government officials and NGO activists, we argue that extremist groups in Bima have emerged from a social environment that shares similar perspectives with them and, to some extent, is sympathetic to their actions in moral or logistical terms. We further argue that this social environment has both served to escalate and de-escalate violent extremism in Bima.
Abstract
This panel focuses on radical and militant Islamism in Indonesia. It comprises four papers which cut across time and space, covering a range of Islamist organizations such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the pro-ISIS Jamaah Ansharud Daulah (JAD), the Poso-based Mujahidin Eastern Indonesia (MIT), and militant Islamists in Bima. The key questions that tie these papers together analytically revolve around the relationship between radical Islamist ideology, Muslim protest, jihadi training camps, militant activities, and terrorism. This panel will show that the relationship between radical Islamist ideas and militant Islamist activities has been a fluid one and the relationship between behavioural and ideological change has moved along a continuum in both directions. Training does not necessarily translate into violence as it also functions as a way to build a cohesive organisation and to establish networks. Conversely, violence does not necessarily require prior training as willingness to engage and re-engage in jihad is often determined by a radical milieu, local circumstances, unaddressed grievances, and ideology. While the jihadi environment remains a predominantly male one, these same factors have also been the drivers of female engagement with extremist groups as exemplified by the women in MIT. Last but not least, political opportunity to reshape local and national politics has also been tactically embraced by radical and militant Islamists leading to interesting alliances between moderate Muslims, Islamist vigilante groups, violent Islamists, and Indonesian political personalities.