The Jakarta Post, December 26, 2002
Terrorist attacks: The positive outcomes
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The devastating Bali bomb blasts that killed over 190 people and injured some 300
others last October was undoubtedly the worst tragedy to take place in Indonesia
throughout this year. It was indeed the worst ever bomb attack to hit the country in its
entire history.
The brutal incident shattered the image of Bali as a peaceful resort island and
devastated its tourism industry and the country's as a whole.
It justified worldwide claims that Indonesia harbored terrorist cells. The latest bombing
that left three dead and 11 others wounded in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Dec. 5
added weight to these claims.
As a result, many foreigners had to abandon Indonesia and suspended coming or
returning to the world's largest Muslim country for business and investment or for
holidays.
The Oct. 12 bombing in Bali also stunned the world as most of the victims were
foreigners, Australians in particular. The bombing is recognized as the second biggest
terrorist attack after the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy in the United States.
Several top government officials and senior Muslim leaders here had played down the
possibility that terrorist cells were operating in the country, but ultimately changed
their stance following the Bali blasts.
The nation united to support the war on terrorism following the Bali bomb attack.
Vice President Hamzah Haz, who is known for his close ties with radical Muslim
groups, had earlier strongly rejected claims that there were domestic terrorist
operations in the country, and yet even he had to join the chorus of condemnations of
the Bali bombers identified as Muslim extremists and militants.
Police arrested Imam Samudra and Amrozi and scores of other suspects one month
after the blasts in Paddy's Bar and the Sari Club in Kuta. The investigators linked the
bombers with the regional Jamaah Islamiyah group that was recently put on the list of
organizations blacklisted by the United Nations.
Jamaah Islamiyah, whose alleged spiritual leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is also being
held at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta on charges of involvement in
previous bombings in several cities, has been linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda
group blamed for the terrorist attack on the United States.
Although the incident had a negative impact on all Indonesians and Muslims in
particular, several positive outcomes have also emerged.
The bombing has forced security authorities to toughen their stance against extremist
groups, which many say have tacitly been sanctioned by police and military generals.
Nevertheless, the government refrained from disbanding such paramilitary
organizations despite the fact that such a move would have been within the law.
The government, in a courageous move, arrested Laskar Jihad commander Ja'far
Umar Thalib and Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Habib Rizieq Shihab for allegedly
provoking separate cases of recent violence. Ja'far is charged with inciting renewed
attacks in the conflict-ridden town of Ambon, Maluku province, and making
defamatory remarks about President Megawati Soekarnoputri, while Rizieq is
suspected of masterminding an attack on nightclubs in Central Jakarta.
As was expected, however, their arrests were followed by the dissolution of Laskar
Jihad and FPI last November. The groups announced their dissolution apparently due
to fears that the two would be made targets in the global terrorist war.
Moderate Muslim scholars and leaders including those from the nation's two biggest
organizations Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah hailed their disbandment
and have urged other militant groups to follow suit. The move would boost the image of
Islam in Indonesia, they argued.
Muslims, making up more than 85 percent of Indonesia's 210 people, are mostly
moderate. But hard-liners, who are a mere minority, have often tarnished the image of
Islam for their "street politics" perpetrated through rampant violence across the
country in tackling socio-religious issues, which at the same time receive large
coverage from national and international media.
Furthermore, supporters and sympathizers of numerous radical groups became silent
or embraced a low-profile style as the police intensified the hunt for more suspects in
the Bali and Makassar blasts.
Several Islamic political parties also eased the tone in their campaigns for sharia law
to avoid being branded as supporters or sympathizers of these hard-line
organizations.
"The Bali incident had a positive influence. It has plummeted political Islam. I don't
know if this will be only a temporary effect or not," socio-political analysts Fachry Ali
told The Jakarta Post.
He said today was an opportune time to revive the popular idea of "Islam Yes, Islamic
Party No" which was raised in 1970s by respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid,
a professor at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN).
The controversial idea had once incensed many Muslims, especially radical
politicians, as it suggested that they should cease abusing Islam as a political vehicle
to grab power.
Muslims should embrace and promote pluralism in politics and religious practices
instead of dichotomizing themselves from followers of other faiths.
For those advocating sharia to be enforced in Indonesia, they should change their
minds and adopt universal values, which are also Islamic, for their future struggle.
This would be realistic and relevant for Indonesian Muslims because it would be
Muslims themselves who mostly violate sharia if it is implemented.
Shedding political Islam and other religious symbols would also prevent religious
radicalism and thereby boost the image of Muslims and Islam in the predominantly
Muslim country, which has been tainted by extremists who were violently struggling
for an Islamic state.
The Bali bombing could continue to or further blemish the image of Islam should
Muslims themselves and the government fail to address radicalism and terrorism far
more seriously, and instead embrace moderation and pluralism. Intensive dialogs
between the authorities and moderate Muslim leaders are crucial to help them counter
these problems. This is what the government has done little of so far.
The police have apparently achieved breakthroughs in investigating the Bali and
Makassar attacks as they managed to capture or identify key suspects in only a
month after the incidents. They say both groups of bombers in Bali and Makassar
were closely linked. Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) is to blame.
Critics have, however, questioned the police's mind-set in the investigations as from
the beginning they appeared to be intent on pinning the blame merely on JI without
necessarily trying to find other possible groups that may have also been behind those
suspects.
This could be uncovered if the police seriously investigated the source of high
explosives, such as RDX, which were found at the Bali blast site.
Despite confessions from Imam Samudra and Amrozi that it was them and their
accomplices who staged the Bali bombing, many ordinary people still doubt the
suspects' ability and courage to launch such a grisly, barbaric attack.
Others believe that Samudra did play a key role in the bombing, but say there must
have been other masterminds who are wealthy, powerful and much more intelligent
than him.
The list of bombings in Indonesia over the past three years (excluding those took
place in the conflict areas in Maluku or Poso):
I. Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta 19 April 1999
II.
1. Residence of the Philippines Ambassador, Jakarta, 1 August 2000 (Two died,
Fathur Rahman al-Gozi, Abdul Jabar among those believed responsible).
2. Malaysian Embassy, Jakarta, 27 August 2000
3. Jakarta Stock Exchange, 13 September 2000
III. Christmas Eve bombings, 24 December 2000
1. Jakarta
(a) Jakarta Cathedral, Lapangan Banteng. Bomb went off between 8:55 and 9:10 pm.
Another eight kg bomb that had not exploded was found, equipped with a small alarm
clock as a timer.
(b) Kanisius Church, Jl. Menteng Raya, two explosions between 8:45 and 8:50 pm
that wounded five.
(c) Santo Yosef Church, Jl. Matraman Raya No.129. Bomb went off at 8:55 pm. The
explosive contained bits of metal that wounded many of the victims. Four were killed,
18 wounded, and there was substantial material damage, including 14 cars, one
foodstall and one bus stop shelter.
(d) Oikumene Protestant Christian Church, Jl. Komodor, Halim Perdanakusuma.
Bomb went off at 9:10 pm while a service was underway, wounding a four-year-old girl.
One car was destroyed, three others damaged.
(e) Koinonia Church, Jatinegara. Bomb went off between 7:15 and 7:45 pm. The bomb
was placed in a public minivan with license plate B 2955 W, that had been emptied of
passengers. The driver died, and a woman named Sumiati Tampubolon was wounded.
(f) Anglican Church, Jl. Arif Rahman Hakim, Menteng
2. Bekasi, West Java. Protestant church on Jl. Gunung Gede Raya. Bomb went of
about around 9:05 p.m. Two other bombs were disabled by the Gegana of The Bekasi
Police's bomb squad.
3. Bandung. Bomb went off at a ruko (dwelling over a shop) on Jl. Terusan Jakarta,
Cicadas, Antapani about 3:00 p.m. killing three of the would-be bombers.
4. Sukabumi, West Java
(a) Sidang Kristus Church, Jl. Alun-Alun Utara. Bomb went off about 9:10 pm.
(b) Huria Kristen Batak Protestan Church on Jl. Otista
5. Ciamis, West Java. Jl Pantai Pengandaran in front of Hotel Surya Kencana, in
Banyuasin hamlet RT 09/04, Pangandaran subdistrict. Exploded prematurely about
6:20 p.m.
6. Pekanbaru, Riau
(a) HKBP Church on Jl. Hang Tuah
(b) Church on Jl. Sidomulyo
(c) Third church, on Jl. Ahmand Dahlan, Gg Horas, in Kedungsari subdistrict,
Sukajadi district, targeted not on Christmas Eve but on 28 December 2002.
7. Batam, Riau
(a) Protestant Church, Simalungun (GKPS) Sei Panas
(b) Bethel Indonesia Church (GBI) Bethany, My Mart Carnival Mall
(c) Pentecostal Church of Indonesia, on Jl. Pelita
(d) Santo Beato Church, Damian area, Bengkong district
8. Medan
(a) Protestant Church of Indonesia, Jl. Sriwijaya
(b) GKPS Stadion Teladan
(c) Kemenangan Iman Indonesia Church (GKII) Hasanudin
(d) GKII Sisingmanagaraja
(e) HKBPChurch Sudirman
(f) Santo Paulus Church, Jl HM Joni
(g) Cathedral Church, Jl. Pemuda
(h) Kristus Raja Church, Jl. MT Haryono
(i) Home of Pastor James Hood, Jl.Merapi
(j) Home of Pastor Oloan Pasaribu, Jl. Sriwijaya
(k) Catholic vicarage, Jl. Hayam Wuruk
9. Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra
(a) Home of pastor Elisman Sibayak, Jl. Kasuari
(b) Gereja HKBP Damai, Jl. Asahan
(c) Home of a pastor in the Kalam Kudus Church, Jl. Supomo
(d) Unidentified building on Jl. Merdeka
10. Mojokerto, East Java
(a) Santo Yoseph Church, Jl. Pemuda. The bombs went off at 8:30.
(b) Kristen Allah Baik Church, Jl. Cokroaminoto. The explosion took place around
8:30 pm
(c) Kristen Ebinezer Church, Jl. Kartini, Gg I
(d) Bethany Church, Jl Pemuda
11. Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara
(a) Protestant Church of Western Indonesia (GPIB) Imanuel, Jl. Bung Karno. Bomb
went off about 10:05. A second bomb was defused by police.
(b) Pentecostal Church Pusat Surabaya (GPPS) Betlehem, Jl. Pemuda.
(c) Christian cemetery, Kapiten, Ampenan. Bomb went off about 10:05 p.m.
IV. Bombing of Gereja HKBP and Gereja Santa Ana, Jakarta, 22 July 2001
V.
1. Atrium Mall bombing, Jakarta, 1 August 2001. The second Atrium Mall bombing 23
September 2001.
2. Hand grenade thrown into Australian International School in Pejaten, South Jakarta,
6 November 2001.
VII. Gereja Petra, North Jakarta, 9 November 2001
VIII. Mal Cijantung shopping center, which belongs to Army's Strategic Reserve
Command, July 1, 2002.
IX. Grenade Explosion near U.S. Embassy Warehouse, Jakarta, 23 September 2002
X.
1. Bali, 12 October 2002. At least 195 people, mostly foreigners, were killed and over
300 were injured when two bombs exploded inside Paddy's Caf‚ and in front of
nearby Sari Club nightclub close to midnight. Another bomb went off near the U.S.
Consulate General office in the provincial capital of Denpasar.
2. Manado, North Sulawesi. Hours before the Bali bomb attack, a bomb hit the
Philippines consulate general office in Manado. Police have not yet officially linked the
Manado blast to Bali bombing.
XI. Makassar, South Sulawesi 5 December, 2002 on the eve of Idul Fitri. Two bombs
exploded in a McDonald's outlet and the Haji Kalla Toyota automobile showroom,
killing three people. Police have found link between the bombing and the Bali carnage.
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