Fighting terrorism among Muslims in Indonesia
Fighting terrorism among Muslims in Indonesia
Mun'im A. Sirry, Senior Researcher, Paramadina Foundation,
Jakarta, Project Syndicate
The flames of Islamic fundamentalism are not confined to the
Middle East and Central Asia. Indonesia is increasingly in the
news because of its large Muslim population, the rise of
fundamentalist rhetoric, and purported connections to
international terrorism. The emergence of violent Muslim
vigilante groups employing jihadist rhetoric and mobilizing
followers for jihad is one of the most conspicuous new phenomena
in Indonesian Islam.
The bomb blasts that rocked Kuta, Bali near midnight last Oct.
12 profoundly effected almost every aspect of Indonesian life.
After years of official denial, that horrifying incident
triggered awareness that terrorism does exist in Indonesia and
that Indonesia's home grown fanatics are connected to a global
terrorist network.
Soon after the Bali bomb conspiracy was uncovered, earlier
explosions that rocked various parts of the country were
reexamined. Not all of them were definitively connected, but the
renewed investigations revealed ties between a number of
disparate terrorist groups. The perpetrators of these bomb blasts
are now understood to belong to linked, hard-line Islamist
organizations.
Recently, the International Crisis Group (ICG), a Brussels-
based NGO, revealed the links between Islamist radicalism in
Indonesia, and international terrorism. The document, Al-Qaeda In
Southeast Asia: The Case Of The "Ngruki Network," is an
exhaustive review of reliable public data, and identifies a
handful of individuals with possible direct or indirect links
with al-Qaeda.
The good news, however, is that the ICG finds no evidence of
an extensive al-Qaeda network in Indonesia. The evidence of
international penetration of Indonesian radical groups is quite
limited.
Nevertheless, Indonesians would be mistaken in thinking that
they have nothing to fear. The ICG report was narrowly conceived
and intended to focus on a single issue, namely the evidence for
an al-Qaeda presence in Indonesia. Some important questions
remain. Is radical Islamism ratcheting up its influence in post-
Soeharto Indonesia? Are elements within the military continuing
to support radical Islamist militias opportunistically, as they
began to do in recent years? Are elements of the political elite
appealing to radical Islamist sentiment, as a way of leveraging
their power? Are moderate Islamic intellectuals facing increasing
criticism and challenge?
Unfortunately, the answer to all these questions is yes.
The stakes for Indonesia are high. When the United States
declared war against terrorism, Bush administration officials
characterized Indonesia as a strategic partner in the struggle
against terrorism. Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense
and former U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, said that the U.S. must
bring new seriousness to helping Indonesia in its quest to secure
a stable democracy and prosperous economy.
But Indonesia can do so only if it demonstrates an unrelenting
commitment to anti-terrorist policies. Foreign investment is
already at its nadir, due to the lingering political crisis
following the fall of the Soeharto dictatorship, and to doubts
about the soundness of the country's institutional and legal
capacity. Backtracking on official resolve to fight terrorism
would hardly convince international business to start investing
in Indonesia again.
The authorities have natural allies in the large, moderate
Muslim organizations, especially the Nahdlatul Ulama and the
Muhammadiyah, that lead Indonesian civil society. These groups
are fed up with how radicals have smeared Islam in Indonesia, and
they are beginning to work together to challenge the extremists
head on. This is not to say that they agree with the American
critique of Indonesian policy. But these two prominent, national
membership organizations may succeed in dampening Islamic
militancy where the government, afraid of waging the battle it
must fight, has failed dismally.
The real conflict ignited by the terrorist attacks is not
between Islam and an American-led, Judeo-Christian "crusade." The
greater challenge is the ongoing struggle within the worldwide
Islamic community, the Ummah, between moderate, progressive
Muslims on the one hand and fundamentalist extremists on the
other. This battle for the hearts and minds of believers will be
fought on two fronts: The first is theological and educational,
while the second concerns socioeconomic issues and the civil
society agenda. In both cases the experiences of Indonesia will
be critical.
In essence, extremism and fundamentalism can be countered only
from within the faith. No amount of American intervention will
turn the tide against bigotry and ignorance. In fact, too much
meddling by Westerners could radicalize the community even more.
Moderate believers must look to examples such as Indonesia,
where Islam has encountered and interacted with new and alien
forces. In Indonesia (and to a lesser extent Malaysia), science
and technology, commerce and modern management as well as the
all-important challenges of democracy, human rights, and gender
equality are being tackled head-on in authentic terms of Muslim
discourse.
Finally, moderate Muslims must explore Indonesia's vibrant and
indigenous Islamic traditions. The country's rich vein of Islamic
scholarship has embraced new ideas and sought to interpret the
Koran in a manner that reveals its compatibility with democracy,
human rights, gender equality and social justice. Indonesians
have the tools to thwart radicals' efforts to usurp Islam. The
fight will not be easy, but it can be won.