The Sydney Morning Herald, September 14, 2004
Puritanical form of Islam puts brakes on terrorism
By Mark Coultan in Jakarta
Far from promoting violence, the teaching of fundamentalist Islam in Indonesia may be
a barrier to the growth of terrorism.
Just days after the bombing of the Australian Embassy, the International Crisis Centre
issued a report arguing that a puritanical form of Islam, known as Salafism, is more
likely to act as a brake on terrorist groups and finds organisations like Jemaah
Islamiah anathema.
It says Salafism in Indonesia is not the security threat sometimes portrayed. "It may
come across to outsiders as intolerant or reactionary, but for the most part it is not
prone to terrorism, in part because it is so inwardly focused on faith," the report says.
In fact the more moderate forms of Islam may provide more fertile recruiting grounds
for the violent radicals. Adherents of Salafism believe in a form of Islam practised by
the prophet Mohammed and the two generations after him, and rejects any deviation
from the faith after this.
The report describes strict Salafis as religious, not political, activists who believe it is
not permissible to revolt against even a unjust Muslim government. They opposed JI
because it actively promotes rebellion against the Indonesian state.
The report says that while the Bali bomber Muklas claimed to be a Salafi, the radical
fringe he belonged to was not representative of the movement.
Salafism has been funded by Saudi sources and Indonesian leaders rarely make
decisions without referring to their teachers in Saudi Arabia.
The crisis centre says that Laskar Jihad, a militia active in Ambon, was forced to
disband after one important Saudi scholar concluded it had strayed from its original
purpose.
It rejects the idea, commonly held by many Western countries, that more moderate
Islam should be promoted to counter the influence of fundamentalists.
"If Salafi jihadis believe they are making bombs to destroy the enemies of Islam, strict
Salafis whose commitment to the purity of religion is beyond question may have more
success in convincing them, using the same texts, that their interpretation is wrong."
But it also says Salafis will never be an ally in the war on terrorism, and argues it
would be futile to use religion to fight something which is "one part religion and three
parts politics".
It suggests analysing the backgrounds of those in custody for terrorism offences, and
developing programs in areas, such as Solo in central Java, where JI has found it easy
to recruit.
Copyright © 2004. The Sydney Morning Herald.
|
