12.07.2015 Views

Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

160 SPECIFICITIES OF GLOBALIZATIONacts of these <strong>org</strong>anizations. In this ideology, there aretwo <strong>in</strong>terconnected notions used by such groups (i.e.,JI, ASG, RKK), namely violent jihadism and takfir(enemiz<strong>in</strong>g perceived <strong>in</strong>fidels, thereby render<strong>in</strong>g themlegitimate targets). If these groups only used one ofthese notions (i.e., the former), it would not lead toterror attacks, as jihad fi sabillillah (jihad <strong>in</strong> the pathof God) is allowed only <strong>in</strong> a declared war aga<strong>in</strong>st thecombatants. If the latter (takfir) is <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to theformer, the target becomes mostly civilians. Moreover,<strong>in</strong> the views of the militants, the <strong>in</strong>centives they believethey will receive <strong>in</strong> the after-life for their actions are<strong>in</strong>strumental <strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g their motivation.It is <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g to note that Muslims can also becomethe targets of terrorism. This work, however, f<strong>in</strong>ds adifferent treatment of them by the groups under study.In the Indonesian case, the groups target Muslimswho are believed to be underm<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the religion. JIoperatives, for <strong>in</strong>stance, targeted Ulil Abshar Abdalla(an activist of the Liberal Islam Network, JIL) and evenMegawati Soekarnoputri (before she was President) forassass<strong>in</strong>ation, but these plans failed to be realized forvarious reasons. Imam Samudra tried to avoid Muslimcasualties; but if they got killed <strong>in</strong> the blast it wasconsidered to be their dest<strong>in</strong>ies, like collateral damage.He even apologized to the families of Muslim casualties<strong>in</strong> the 2002 Bali bomb<strong>in</strong>g (Samudra 2004). However,the ensu<strong>in</strong>g bomb<strong>in</strong>gs by JI cont<strong>in</strong>ued to kill manyMuslims.The ASG under Abdurajak Janjalani was known forprotect<strong>in</strong>g and help<strong>in</strong>g Muslims. After his death andwhen Abu Sabaya threatened Christians and urgedMuslims to remove all crosses <strong>in</strong> Basilan, a formerASG member, Ahmad Sampang, said, “It is not rightanymore… If only Abdurajak was still alive, he would notallow it. Innocent Muslims will be affected” (<strong>in</strong> TorresJr 2001, 39). The ASG under Khadaffy Janjalani alsoprotected Muslims by, for <strong>in</strong>stance, releas<strong>in</strong>g Muslimswho were kidnapped by mistake (e.g., <strong>in</strong> the kidnapp<strong>in</strong>gof 52 teachers and students <strong>in</strong> Tumahubong, Basilan,<strong>in</strong> March 2000). However, they would try to kill thedefectors (perceived traitors) of the ASG; Sampangconfessed that at one time Abu Sabaya’s group went tohis house and tried to kill him, but that “I was able toescape” (<strong>in</strong> Torres Jr 2001, 42). The ASG also hated theMuslim Congressman Abdulgani “Gerry” Salapud<strong>in</strong>, aformer MNLF Commander. Sampang said, <strong>in</strong> the past,“He did not help us. We asked him once to give us atleast a few sacks of rice. But he failed us. We cannot killhim because he has a lot of armed men” (<strong>in</strong> Torres Jr2001, 39-42).The Thai case is, however, totally different. While JI andthe ASG mostly try to avoid Muslim casualties (if theyoccur, they are considered collateral damage), the newgeneration of <strong>in</strong>surgents <strong>in</strong> Thailand has <strong>in</strong>tentionallytargeted many Muslims who work for the government,oppose their deeds and ideology or do not cooperatewith them. This has contributed to the fact that betweenJanuary 2004 and August 2006, more Muslims thanBuddhists were killed <strong>in</strong> the recent violence and terrorattacks <strong>in</strong> Thailand. One of the ideological explanationsfor this phenomenon can be found <strong>in</strong> a captureddocument entitled Berjihad di Pattani (Wag<strong>in</strong>g Jihad<strong>in</strong> Pattani).The majority of Muslims <strong>in</strong> Thailand, the Philipp<strong>in</strong>esand Indonesia, are, however, moderate. They, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>greligious leaders, do not agree with the deeds and theideology used by JI, the ASG and RKK to justify theirterror attacks or violent acts.The networks: Actual and virtual networksThe networks can be dist<strong>in</strong>guished <strong>in</strong>to actual networksand virtual networks. An actual network can be divided<strong>in</strong>to an <strong>in</strong>ternal network and an external network.The actual networks of such groups <strong>in</strong> Indonesia, thePhilipp<strong>in</strong>es and Thailand are summarised <strong>in</strong> Table 5.Another type of network—the virtual network—hasplayed a considerable role <strong>in</strong> the JI case. Discouragementsto commit terror attacks have been carried out by manyIndonesian religious leaders. Abu Bakar Baa’syir evenreleased a “fatwa”: “Don’t do bomb<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Indonesia.”However, accord<strong>in</strong>g to one security analyst, NoorHuda Ismail, “his ‘fatwa’ discourag<strong>in</strong>g violence <strong>in</strong>Indonesia has not been well received by fr<strong>in</strong>ge youngand impassioned jihadi recruits. Young jihadists have<strong>in</strong>stead turned to the Internet to download fatwas fromma<strong>in</strong>ly Middle Eastern jihadists, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g fatwas fromthe late Jordanian-born Zarqawi and a jailed SaudiArabian cleric, Al Maqdisi” (Ismail 2007).The International Crisis Group (ICG) has notedthat s<strong>in</strong>ce the 2002 Bali bomb<strong>in</strong>g, the terror groups<strong>in</strong> Indonesia have reached the third generation andat present are not necessarily under JI’s structuralcommands. Abdullah Sonata, for <strong>in</strong>stance, denied hismembership with JI. He <strong>in</strong>stead declared himself andhis cohort as “mujahid freelance” (freelance mujahid<strong>in</strong>),mean<strong>in</strong>g their movement is leaderless or under aleaderless <strong>org</strong>anization. One former member of JI fromCentral Java confirmed that Sonata was not a member ofJI. It is also <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g to note that “about 18 ‘mujahidfreelance’ have been under detention” (Tempo 2005).<strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Transformations</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Action</strong>The Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!