Confronting the underlying causes of extreme ideology

Beni Sukadis ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 07/21/2008 10:34 AM  |  Opinion

It has been nearly three years since the last terrorist bombing in Indonesia, but the recent arrest of terrorism suspects in South Sumatra -- found in possession of explosive substances and an assembled bomb -- leads us to conclude that terrorism and extremist ideology remain a dangerous threat in this country.

That the alleged terrorists were arrested in Palembang and Lempuing, South Sumatra, has raised concern that terrorists abound in every corner of our nation. This raises the question of why terrorists continue waging "holy war" in this, a Muslim-dominated country.

According to one theory, terrorists in the Third World usually come from poor families, lack education and experience a spiritual transformation that compels them to commit what they believe to be acts of holy war (jihad), but which are, in fact, acts of terrorism -- and for that reason, wrong. While the assumption of poverty and lack of education is partly true, the profiles of many terrorist leaders contradict it.

For example, convicted terrorists Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron were militant and convinced their "crusade" was justified -- yet none of them was poor. They were also more ideological -- or political -- and sophisticated than the foot soldiers who committed suicide bombings in various places across Indonesia (e.g., in Bali, at the Jakarta Marriott, etc.).

The late bomb-maker Azahari is another example of a terrorist leader who was well-educated, but who lacked trust in the existing political system, both in his country and internationally.

Terrorists' lack of trust in the government (based on bureaucratic and law enforcement corruption), lack of understanding (due to misguided Islamic teaching) and frustration regarding injustice in the world (particularly, economic disparities and high unemployment) are believed to have motivated their ruthless acts.

A theory that claims poverty and lack of development as fertile ground for terrorism is partially true, but lacks direct correlation with the range of terrorist acts committed. Many perpetrators of terrorism suit the above-mentioned profile: They are unemployed, uneducated, from the lower classes and even naive. But the important point -- and the missing factor -- is that they were brainwashed into committing their despicable acts by educated terrorist leaders, who lured them with promises of heaven.

The Jamaah Islamiyah network is de facto led by men from neighboring countries -- men such as Azahari, Noordin M. Top, and the recent escapee, Mas Slamet K.. The recent arrests in South Sumatra revealed that one Singaporean suspect taught English during the day (The Jakarta Post, July 5, 2008) -- which only supports the claim that terrorist leaders are drawn from the more educated classes.

Terrorists continue to believe Indonesia is a safe haven, most likely because of its Muslim majority. More importantly, the country's vast geography, porous border and corrupt bureaucracy make it an attractive base for terrorists.

Given that, there are at least two approaches to dealing with the causes of terrorism in our country. The first concerns the international system -- in particular, the global injustice perpetrated by dominant super powers against smaller nations, such as Palestine.

Prevailing global injustice can be used by terrorists or extremists to justify bombings and violent protests as acts of retaliation on behalf of the deprived. We see this in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. While injustice motivates these culprits, the dominant powers mistakenly fuel the underlying causes of such injustice.

Since September 11, there has been a widespread misperception among Western nations that Javanese Islamic boarding schools teach radicalism.

In fact, the majority of such schools are adapted to a more "localized" Islam, rather than teaching Islam's purification (Salafi), which tends to be more rigid.

Existing "pacification" programs in Muslim boarding schools -- funded by foreign aid agencies and labeled "development cooperation" -- therefore do not help reduce radicalism, as such ideology prevails only among a few groups.

It is wiser and more feasible for foreign nations to provide assistance in the form of micro-loans to deprived -- particularly, rural -- areas. Such assistance can be channeled through Islamic boarding schools acting as local partners. This will go a long way toward convincing everyone involved that affirmative development efforts can bear fruit.

Moreover, preoccupation with work and economic activities aimed at raising living standards will help dispel extremist leanings.

Second, on a national level, the Indonesian government should encourage moderate Muslim groups, such as NU and Muhammadiyah, to discuss their role in empowering moderate Muslims and pacifying radical groups.

Moderate Muslim groups, including NU and Muhammadiyah, have spoken out and harshly opposed terrorist attacks. We should acknowledge their role in battling the causes of extremist ideology (i.e., injustice and economic frustration) and potential terrorism (i.e., deprivation and political frustration).

With respect to national socioeconomic factors, the government should do its utmost to implement policies centered on the people's welfare and economic improvement.

Even though political conflict -- such as global injustice -- is often more powerful than the economy in motivating terrorism, poor economic conditions contribute to extremist ideology, and should be confronted.

In short, affirmative development is the key to alleviating radicalism and extremist ideology. Without a comprehensive effort toward that end, on both the national and international level, extremists will continue to find fertile ground.

The writer is a researcher on national security at the Indonesian Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies (Lesperssi) in Jakarta. He can be reached at bsukadis@gmail.com

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