Indonesia: Changes in the nature, scope and extent of Islamic extremism in Indonesia since 11 September 2001; the major Islamic groups currently active, including their organizational structures; whether their activities or stated goals have changed since 11 September 2001; the areas of Indonesia where these groups currently active; from whom do they draw their major support; the reaction of the Indonesian government to Islamic groups since 11 September 2001
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 20 September 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IDN39735.E |
| Reference | 5 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Indonesia: Changes in the nature, scope and extent of Islamic extremism in Indonesia since 11 September 2001; the major Islamic groups currently active, including their organizational structures; whether their activities or stated goals have changed since 11 September 2001; the areas of Indonesia where these groups currently active; from whom do they draw their major support; the reaction of the Indonesian government to Islamic groups since 11 September 2001, 20 September 2002, IDN39735.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4da80.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A 10 October 2001 report prepared by the International Crisis Group (ICG) names several Islamic groups in Indonesia. Divided into a "moderate Muslim mainstream" and a "radical minority," the report names the following major groups:
Nahdlatul Ulama
Described as Indonesia's largest and most moderate Muslim organization (BBC 3 Oct. 2001), Nahdlatul Ulama is based in Java (IGC 10 Oct. 2001, 11) and claims more than 30 million members (BBC 3 Oct. 2001). Reportedly, the group, which was founded in 1926 (The International Herald Tribune 27 Apr. 2002), has never been a "cohesive organisation," but instead is structured around a network of pesantren (Islamic schools), which are located in the rural areas of Java and other regions (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 15). The NU is reported to be generally "pragmatic, tolerant and pluralist" (ibid.).
Muhammadiyah
In contrast to the NU, the Muhammadiyah, which was founded in 1912 (The International Herald Tribune 27 Apr. 2002), is described as a more modern and urban organization (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 15). The group is reportedly well represented in the "bureaucracy and the professions" and is described as "usually quite pragmatic in its approach to politics" (ibid.). It also runs a network of schools, hospitals and other welfare institutions (ibid.).
Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)
The FPI, or Front Pembela Islam (ibid., 7), is reported to have a following of several thousand members (BBC 15 Nov. 2001). Reportedly, "one of the most prominent radical Islamic organisations," the FPI was formed in 1998 and has branches in 22 provinces (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 12). The group is based in Jakarta and is led by Habib Muhammad Rizieq Syihab (ibid.). According to a 10 October 2001 International Crisis Group report, the FPI's stated goal is the "full implementation of Islamic law" (12).
The FPI is reportedly well-known for its organized raids on bars (BBC 15 Nov. 2001; ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 12), brothels and gambling centres (ibid.). The ICG report noted that observers believe that police turn a bind eye to these FPI activities in order to increase the bar operators' willingness to pay the police protection money (ibid.).
Laskar Jihad
Reportedly one of the most extreme of "radical Islamic groups" in Indonesia (BBC 15 Nov. 2001), the Laskar Jihad (LJ), which claims 15,000 members (ibid. 28 Apr. 2002), is the paramilitary wing of the Forum Komunikasi Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (Communication Forum of the Followers of the Sunnah) (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 13) and is described as the "largest and most organized militant Muslim orrganization in Indonesia" (CDI 8 Mar. 2002). The group was formed on 30 January 2000 in reaction to Muslim-Christian violence in Maluku (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 13). LJ reportedly provided training to thousands of men and sent them to fight against the Christians in Maluku (BBC 15 Nov. 2001) in the months after April 2000 (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 13).
A 12 April 2002 article reported that some 200 members of the Laskar Jihad had arrived in Jayapura, Papua, in November 2001 (The Jakarta Post). Despite the fact that local separatist leaders have reportedly rejected the group's presence, it has set up six regional branches in the province, including in Sorong, Jayapura and Manokwari (ibid.). A spokesman for the group explained its presence in the province as an attempt to expand "the organization's wings" (ibid.). The LJ is also reportedly present in Sulawesi province (WorldNetDaily 8 Dec. 2001; The New York Times 29 Dec. 2001; ABC 13 Dec. 2001).
The 10 October 2001 International Crisis Group report stated that the LJ "received the backing of elements in the military and police," further noting that it was military officers who had provided military training to the group and that, despite a presidential order to do so, neither the military nor the police had made any "serious effort" to prevent the LJ from going to Maluku (13). As well, the report stated that, once on Maluku, the LJ often obtained military issued weapons and "on several occasions were openly backed by military personnel and indeed units" (ICG 10 Oct. 2001, 13). An 8 March 2002 report published by the Center for Defense Information (CDI) stated that "the support the militant group continues to receive from the highest levels of the Indonesian military ensures its survival." The report further posits that the Indonesian military is thought to have provided the LJ with cash and possibly weapons, and to have ordered Moluccan officials to not "crack down on Laskar Jihad members" (CDI 8 Mar. 2002).
For further information on the Laskar Jihad, please refer to IDN38456.E of 22 February 2002.
Islamic Extremism Following 11 September 2001
While noting that they are "small in number and on the margins of a generally tolerant society," a 15 November 2001 article reported that radical Islamic groups have become much more "outspoken and visible" (BBC). Although many Indonesian Muslims had reportedly expressed their sympathy to the victims of the events of 11 September 2001 (United States n.d.), Muslim extremists "had taken to the streets" following the commencement of the US air-campaign in Afghanistan (BBC 15 Nov. 2001). A 15 November 2001 article stated that extremists had "threatened to burn down the US embassy in Jakarta, kill the ambassador, and forcibly expel thousands of Westerners living there, if fellow-Muslims in Afghanistan died as a result of American military action" (BBC). Reportedly, "radicals" called for volunteers to fight for the Taliban and Osama bin Laden (The International Herald Tribune 27 Apr. 2002) and "Islamist hardliners linked to groups battling Christians in eastern Indonesia" threatened to "sweep" local hotels for American and British visitors (United States n.d.).
However, a report entitled "Muslim Politics in Indonesia After September 11" prepared by the director of a project on "Civil Democratic Islam: Prospects and Policies for the Muslim World" at the Institute on Religion and World Affairs at Boston University for the US House Committee on International Relations stated that the "sweeps" never occurred and that demonstrations outside of the American embassy never numbered more than a few thousand participants (n.d.).
An 18 October 2001 article reported that the FPI had been at the forefront of the "anti-American campaign" (The Economist). Reportedly, the group's leader demanded that all American and British nationals leave the country, and the group had tried to "whip up public sentiment," but they did not enjoy much popular support (ibid.). On 15 October 2001, police used sticks, tear gas and a water cannon to beat back FPI protesters outside parliament in the belief that the FPI intended to occupy the building (ibid.).
An 8 March 2002 report prepared by the Center for Defense Information stated that the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States and the subsequent US campaign in Afghanistan had inspired an estimated 500 men to join the LJ and that the group has maintained a "consistently anti-American rhetoric."
A purportedly significant impact of the 11 September 2001 events on Indonesia has been the decision of the "tolerant, liberal Islamic leadership" to fight back against extremist groups (The International Herald Tribune 27 Apr. 2002). Previously inclined to ignore extremists, Indonesia's two major national organizations, the Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, which together can claim a membership of some 60 to 80 million, have joined together (ibid.; The Economist 22 June 2002) and have even "repudiated calls for radical action" (United States n.d.).
The report to the House Committee on International Relations concluded that the "primary influences on Indonesia's religious violence are domestic, not international" and that they are related to the "continuing erosion of state authority, the growing reliance of local groupings (Christian as well as Muslim) on paramilitary violence, and a fierce struggle between moderates and hardliners for the heart and soul of the Muslim community" (ibid.).
The Indonesian Government's Response to Islamic groups since 11 September 2001
A 22 June 2002 article reported that, despite their lack of popular support, the Indonesian government "seems strangely reluctant" to take action against extremist groups (The Economist). As an example of this reluctance, the article noted that the LJ spent three years "fanning sectarian fighting" in Maluku before government authorities arrested the group's leader in May 2002 for incitement (ibid.). The article further noted that one of the leader's first visitors in prison was the country's vice-president (ibid.).
A 3 August 2002 article stated that other Southeast Asian leaders have criticized Indonesia's president's reluctance to "directly challenge Islamic militants inside Indonesia," attributing this reluctance to Megawati Sukarnoputri's "precarious political support before the 2004 elections" (Chicago Tribune).
A 31 July 2002 article stated that "after much foot-dragging in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States, Indonesia has stepped up its [international] cooperation this year despite fears of a Muslim backlash" (Reuters). However, the article further stated that such cooperation seems only to extend in regards to foreign "terrorists" and that in cases involving an Indonesian, the government's involvement is much more cautious (ibid.). According to the article, apart from the arrest of the LJ's leader, the Indonesian government has "done little against local extremists" as it is "afraid of upsetting radical groups and boosting sympathy for them among the vast moderate Islamic majority" (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 13 December 2001. "Indonesia: Is the Laskar Jihad Seeking to De-Christianise the Nation?" BBC. 28 April 2002. "Who Are the Laskar Jihad?" _____. 15 November 2001. Richard Galpin. "Analysis: Indonesia's Islamic Radicals." _____. 3 October 2001. Richard Galpin. "Eyewitness: Anti-US Anger in Indonesia." Center for Defense Information (CDI). 8 March 2002. "In the Spotlight: Laskar Jihad." The Chicago Tribune. 3 August 2002. Howard Witt. "U.S. Pledges Aid to Idonesia; Most of Assistance Will Be Marked for Anti-Terror Training." (NEXIS)
The Economist. 22 June 2002. "The Challenge for Moderate Islam."
_____. 18 October 2001. "Java's Angry Young Muslims." International Crisis Group (ICG), Brussels. 10 October 2001. Indonesia: Violence and Radical Muslims. The International Herald Tribune. 27 April 2002. Merle C. Ricklefs. "Liberal, Tolerant Islam is Fighting Back." (NEXIS)
The Jakarta Post. 12 April 2002. R.K. Nugroho and Sri Wahyuni. "Indonesia: Laskar Jihad 'Expands' in Papua, Starting to Upset Locals." (FBIS-EAS-2002-0412 12 Apr. 2002/WNC)
The New York Times. 29 December 2001. Seth Mydans. "In Indonesia, Once Tolerant Islam Grows Rigid." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 31 July 2002. Dean Yates. "Indonesia Seen Quietly Doing its Bit in War on Terror." United States House Committee on International Relations. n.d. Robert W. Hefner. "Muslim Politics in Indonesia After September 11." WorldNetDaily. 8 December 2001. Art Moore. "Christians Terrorized in Muslim Indonesia." Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Jane's Geopolitical Library
Jane's Intelligence Review
Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor
Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism
NEXIS
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International
BBC
Christian Persecution Worldwide
CNN
European Country of Origin Information Network
Guardian Unlimited
Human Rights Documentation Exchange, "Indonesia: Persecution of Christians"
Human Rights Watch
International Christian Concern
International Crisis Group
Laskar Jihad Website
South Asia Terrorism Portal
UN News
World News Connection
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