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.