A campaign against terrorism

A campaign against terrorism

Aleksius Jemadu, Bandung

The success of the government in killing top terror suspect
Azahari bin Husin has garnered praise at home and abroad and has
helped dispel the impression that Indonesia is not serious about
cracking down on terrorist networks.

What is interesting to observe after Azahari's death is the
changing perceptions among Islamic leaders about the extent
terrorists have manipulated religious teachings in order to
justify the killings of innocent people. It is reported in the
media that religious leaders now realize the importance of
carrying out counter-campaigns against the teachings of
terrorists, who are telling Islamic youths that blowing
themselves up is a direct route to heaven.

Security analysts are hailing the determination of the
Ministry of Religious Affairs to establish a special team with
the task of countering militant religious ideas. However, it
remains to be seen how effective this effort will be in
neutralizing terrorists' campaigns to recruit new generations of
suicide bombers. Mainstream clerics must face the reality that
written materials authored by top militants like Sayyid Qutb,
Osama bin Laden and Imam Samudera have been widely circulated and
read by many young people. We also need to add the Internet to
the equation, a virtual world where militants spread information
about how to make bombs and otherwise kill or maim.

The videos of the three suicide bombers broadcast by our TV
stations tell us of their social origins. That the bombers come
from poor areas has led people to believe that poverty is a
primary cause of terrorism. There is some truth to this argument
but it is also certain that these men were not motivated by
material concerns. We have no evidence that the bombers profited
from their activities or that they sent money to their families
before blowing themselves up.

If poverty is not the main explanation, then we have to
sharpen our focus and look into the mind of a terrorist. The
social constructivists tell us that the self-images of terrorists
affect their behavior. From their statements in the videos we
learn that the suicide bombers are very sincere, yet sincerely
ignorant. They do not allow any other alternative discourse to
test the validity of their convictions. They have been misled by
certain religious discourse that ultimately serves as a prison
for them.

The good news about Indonesia's counter-terrorism policy after
Azahari's death is that the government and Islamic leaders have
begun to appreciate the importance of cooperation to combat
religious extremism and terrorism. What a difference it would
have made if this kind of cooperation began after the first Bali
bombing in 2002.

However, it is too early to predict this effort will
successfully stop the recruitment of new terrorists in the
country.

Campaigns against the manipulation of religious teachings will
produce limited effects if they are designed only as a reaction
to the spread of militant ideas. The creation of a terrorist mind
is not an instant process. It may take years of indoctrination
and brain-washing before a terrorist is fully convinced about the
essential validity of their murderous act. Intense interaction
with foreign militants also seems to be an essential element in
the radicalization of religious views among Indonesia's homegrown
terrorists.

It should be noted that the anti-Western propaganda by the
terrorists also makes references to some legitimate grievances
among Islamic societies -- the killing of innocent people in
Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. They also try to mobilize public
sympathy by demonizing authoritarian and repressive monarchies in
the Middle East whose collaboration with the West is widely
perceived as a humiliation to the Arab world.

The government and mainstream clerics should not assume they
can easily argue against terrorist propaganda simply on the
grounds that they represent the view of the majority of the
Indonesian people. The persuasiveness of their counter-terror
campaign cannot be taken for granted. A sizable proportion of the
country's population may not agree with the violence used by the
terrorists but they may well sympathize with the legitimacy of
any struggle against social injustice and political domination.

Any counter campaign, therefore, should be based on clear
religious teachings and have an identified target audience.

Terrorism is a multifaceted security issue. Resolving the
problem at the national level is only part of the job. The entire
civilized world must strengthen global cooperation to address the
root causes of this problem.

The writer is head of the International Relations masters
study program at Parahyangan University in Bandung, who
specializes in researching civil and internal conflict. He can be
reached at aljemadu@yahoo.co.uk.