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Although Kartosuwirjo was arrested in 1962 and his rebellion crushed that same
year, DI had successfully politicized and radicalized many Indonesian Muslims.
During Suharto’s years in power, beginning in 1966, General Ali Moertopo
reactivated DI to protect Indonesia against the danger of communist infiltration
across the Indonesian-Malaysian border in Borneo.
In 1977, the Indonesian government arrested some 185 Islamists who were not
formally members of DI, but who shared Kartosuwirjo’s ideals. The future
founders of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Ba’asyir,
were among those arrested. Both were deeply involved in da’wa activities, were
known for making statements urging disobedience to secular authority, and
refused to acknowledge the validity of the Indonesian constitution. Sungkar and
Ba’asyir were tried in 1982 on charges of being members of DI and sentenced to
nine years in prison for subversion. Subsequently their sentences were reduced
on appeal to three years and ten months. Facing imminent re-arrest upon their
release, they fled to neighboring Malaysia. A charismatic leader, Sungkar
emerged as Suharto’s number one enemy.
In Malaysia, Sungkar identified a number of sympathetic businessmen willing to
take on Indonesian workers and support the establishment of an Islamic state in
Indonesia. During the time they were sheltered by Malaysians, the two men
continued their teaching and preaching activities, and were ultimately able to
have a profound influence on select Malaysian youth. 21 Nasir Abas, a Malaysian
who joined DI and subsequently became one of the four regional leaders of JI,
later described his own experience as follows:
In the beginning of 1985, after studying for three months in Maahad
Ittiba’us Sunnah, there were about 50 Indonesian that came to
Malaysia… They seemed so friendly and liked to discuss about
Islamic matters. In fact, some of them even brought books to be
sold. Almost all books concerned about the Islamic movements
such as books written by Hasan al-Banna from Ikhwanul Muslimin
movement, books concerning the struggle of Afghanistan
Mujahidin and Islamic Jihad, others concerning the Islamic belief
(aqidah) and unity of God (tauhid) and the fiqih (worship guidance)
of prayers. I often bought and borrowed some books from those
21
Bina Bektiati and L. N. Idayanie, ”Abu Bakar Who? The Teacher Is Still Here,” TEMPO (15–21
January 2002).
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