Islamic parties and the terror threat

Oleh Sapto Waluyo
Kontibutor Utama Diskusi Komunitas Kepemimpinan LENTERA 20
Dimuat di JakartaPost.Com Kamis, 27 Agustus 2009


Terrorism has not only affected the post-election government's performance, but has also created fear in the public.

Furthermore, the latest bomb blasts at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which injured 53 and killed nine people, including foreign CEOs and businessmen, have made investors and businesses more wary of the country.

Over the last decade, terrorism has haunted the Islamic community, as acts of terror have always been associated with Jemaah Islamiyah, which succeeded the Darul Islam (Indonesian Islamic State) movement. A report in this paper (Aug. 15) claimed that the breeding of terrorism was associated with the passive stance of Islamic parties, particularly the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which is the biggest Islamic party according to the 2009 legislative elections results.

According to terrorism researcher, Noor Huda Ismail, no concrete policy nor action has been taken by the PKS to prevent terrorism in Indonesia. The passive attitude of the PKS is perceived as having something to do with the relationship between the former Darul Islam movement and senior officials from the PKS, whereas the public assumes that Darul Islam is a breeding ground for terrorists.

Some Islamic organizations, not merely Islamic parties, act awkwardly rather than passively when dealing with terrorists. Among other reasons because they have been busy with the presidential election and are awaiting its outcome.

However, Islamic groups and parties were divided in the election. All mainstream Islamic parties (the PKS, PAN, PPP, PKB, and PBB) supported Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, while leaders of major Islamic organizations (NU, Muhammadiyah) supported Jusuf Kalla.

As a matter of fact, Islamic parties have condemned terrorism (including the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton blasts) and so have Islamic organizations.
There is no need to plunge into conspiracy theories, but a statement by the Muhammadiyah chairman, Din Syamsudin, saying that he had received information that a lot of foreign intelligence agents were staying in the hotel before the July 17 explosion is irrevocably interesting. Did they know something was about to take place?

If so, did they have any intention of taking any preventative measures? Din's critical stance turned into nerves after the police ambushed a house in Temanggung, Central Java, three weeks later.

The house, suspected to have been sheltering Noordin M. Top, belongs to Muhjahri, a retired civil servant who works as a teacher at Muhammadiyah junior high school in Kedu, Central Java. Din appointed Muhammadiyah lawyers to defend Muhjahri. The latter was proven innocent although his son was arrested by the police three years ago for protecting Noordin.



The PKS is also put in a problematic position when the media keeps on associating terrorist suspects with established Islamic organizations. Current targets include Abu Bakar Ba'asyir who left the Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) and founded Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid.

Reporting about Ibrohim, the florist who disappeared after the July 17 blasts and was later shot in Temanggung, TV stations exposed his family's house that has been deserted for two years after a big flood.

On its wall there was a depiction of an exploding skyscraper and a shirt with a Ritz-Carlton logo on it, as well as Arabic calligraphy saying: "Allahu Ghayatuna wa ar-Rasul qudwatuna.wa al-Jihad sabiluna" (Allah is our destination, the Prophet is our role model, .and struggle is our way of life).

Everybody knows that it is the motto of the Al-Ikhwanul Muslimin organization, which is often referred to by PKS members as theirs. Was Ibrohim a PKS cadre? The media have never asked the question openly and therefore PKS executives have not seen it necessary to explain it. Apparently Ibrohim was not a party member, let alone a cadre of the PKS.

Furthermore the media has also mentioned a connection between Dani Dwi Permana, the suspect of the Marriott bombing, with the PKS before the former was recruited by Syaifuddin Jaelani.

It is said that Dani was an active student at his school and was once appointed chairman of the Islamic Student Body (Rohis) whose activities are often guided by PKS cadres. Thus, Syaifuddin only took advantage of Dani whose religious spirit had been shaped by the dakwah community at his school.

Whether the aforementioned teaching process is right, only Dani's teachers and friends know, but one thing is certain, Syaifuddin, who once claimed to have graduated from a university in Yemen, is neither a PKS member nor cadre.

Unable to gain strong evidence, some have attempted to correlate Islamic organizations with terrorist groups in a grand narrative: Both should be followers of radical Wahhabi or Salafi tenets. Such a perspective was at least suggested by A.M. Hendropriyono (former chief of the State Intelligence Body/BIN) and Suryadarma Salim (former commander of Police's Special Detachment 88/Densus 88).

This is opposite to the position taken by Islamic parties in Indonesia. The central sharia board (law-making body) at the PKS stated that their party is based upon Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (adherents to the Sunnah *Prophet Muhammad's words and deeds* and the community) and a belief in its publicly disseminated official vision and mission. Regarding reverence affairs, the PKS gives its cadres and constituents the freedom to choose their respective beliefs and avoids any monolithic doctrine.

Therefore, its members are diverse in nature, many of whom are actively involved in various mass organizations such as NU, Muhammadiyah, Persis, Al-Khairat, PUI, Al-Washliyah, etc.


Hidayat Nur Wahid as a figure is often referred to as representative of Wahabi/Salafi tenets in the PKS, and yet, such opinions might only be issued by those who don't have any comprehensive understanding of Hidayat. The former president of the PKS, who graduated from the Islamic University of Madinah, wrote his dissertation on Javanese spirituality; not from a theological perspective, but a sociological one.

Hidayat is fond of wayang and is well-versed in Javanese Macapat (ancient Javanese songs that consist of four lines), as was once displayed in his cultural speech delivered at Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center. How can such a person be a radical Wahabi or Salafi?

It's unfair to demand a contribution that is beyond the capacity of the PKS, as the PKS was only born in the Reformasi era and still has a limited social basis. It's proven that PKS cadres have never been involved in any mass fighting or drug abuse in their respective schools or universities.

Some of them have been high-achievers in the academic field and in art and cultural competitions, even though the party cannot take the credit for all these achievements.

Some PKS cadres work as preachers in local jails. It is the government's prerogative to invite public participation in counterterrorism programs. The government's new proposal is to de-radicalize terrorists from their extreme ideologies and the PKS is ready to help.

Perhaps it will be useful if someday hundreds of thousands of PKS supporters hold a peaceful demonstration against terrorism and promote Islam as the blessing of the universe, in order to make society aware of the party's true ideals. The PKS is still renowned for its mass-mobilization rather than dissemination of ideas and concrete actions. Nevertheless, this should not be an excuse to spread negative prejudice toward Islamic parties.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/27/islamic-parties-and-terror-threat.html