Executive Summary
This essay provides an analysis of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah from its foundation and grass roots development up until the splintering of the group in 2000. It also provides analysis of the motivations behind its founder and the future of JI and radical Islam.
The analysis is provided in seven parts that cover key areas including the inception of JI, the status and role of Ba’asyir, the ideological influence of Darul Islam, JI’s manifesto and operational charter, the splintering of JI and the future of Islamic extremists and the response from authorities.
The analysis shows that Islamic extremism is not only present but prevalent in Indonesia today. Hard line groups like JI and the recently identified Aceh
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Abu Bakar Ba’asyir has been a primary driving force behind extremist-Muslim ideology in Indonesia for decades. He has been a leader and a source of spiritual inspiration to some of the most violent terrorists of our times and his legacy will continue to be a driver of terrorist groups and radical organizations for years to come.
This essay will provide an analysis of how Ba'asyir has been a primary driving force behind extremist-Muslim ideology in Indonesia and his involvement with, and his role in shaping Jemaah Islamiyah. Secondly this essay will look at the future of JI and overt Islamic groups in Indonesia.
Abu Bakar Ba’asyir (a.k.a. Abu Bakar Bashir )
Abu Bakar Ba’asyir was born on August 17, 1938 in Pekunden village in Jombang, East Java province. His mother was of mixed Yemeni and Javanese descent which led to the immigration of his father and grandfather from the Hadramawt region of south-eastern Yemen .
After dropping out of high school in 1959 because his parents were unable to pay the fees, Ba’asyir entered the Gontor Islamic Boarding School in Madiun, East Java, a school established on the Darussalam Gontor system. After graduating in 1963 Ba’asyir went on to continue his studies at Al-Irsyad Islamic University in Solo, Central Java where he majored in dakwah (Islamic propagation) though he failed to
This paper will talk about the largest terror group called Al Qaeda. Stating the facts on when this terror group formed, their motives, and graphs on numerous innocent lives. The most notorious Islamic terrorist group is Al Qaeda. Its pioneer, Osama Bin Laden, issued a fatwa (a religious decision) in February 1998 requiring an overall Islamic sacred war to slaughter Christians and Jews. Laden's key targets seem to be U.S. property. Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group that was established by Osama Bin Laden in the late 1980s. It started as a strategic system to help Muslims in Afghanistan battling against what was then the Soviet Union amid the Afghan War. Individuals were enrolled all through the Islamic world standing Al-Qaeda's roots and connections.
Fawaz Gerges, who has done extensive research on Al-Qaeda, has described the themes of development on Al-Qaeda. During the early 1990’s the ideology of Sayyid Qutb [3] had a large influence on the objectives of Al-Qaeda. Qutb stood for the concept of hideous schizophrenia [4], and believed that it has been forever implemented into western societies. Gerges states that it was not until 1996 that Al-Qaeda shifted its focus on the “near enemy” to the “far enemy”. This change in ideology was expressed in the 1996 declaration written by Bin Laden. It was a way to inform Al-Qaeda’s vast network the slight change in ideology, and served to express the newly support in the principles of hideous
This paper explores the life and times of Osama bin Laden, his constant fighting which he believed to be an holy war popularly known as jihad. It is discovered that he started fighting at an early age and even dropped out of school to join the war at Afghanistan who were fighting the Soviets. The paper also talks of what prompted the formation of Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda was a terrorism group formed by Osama.
Throughout the depths of recorded history Muslims have constantly committed mass murders upon innocent people in the name of Islam. According to long established conventional Islamic views, Muhammad’s revelations start the Qur’an off in 610. Dating back to as early as 627, the Prophet Muhammad’s followers have been recorded of murdering large numbers of “non-believers” and even believers for that matter (Ye 'or, 1985). While researching wars declared in the name of Islam, the words “convert” or “die” (more often than not they surfaced together making the claim “convert or die”) surfaced exceedingly often. Despite the common belief imprinted into the minds of nearly every United States citizen/civilian whom attended or is attending public school with the U.S., oppressing a people based off of their religious beliefs has the ability to be beneficial to the world on a global scale. Muslims should not be allowed to act as political advocates considering Islam gives approval of segregation, provides obligations of the religions followers to commit senseless acts of violence, and because of the fact that Islam allows systematic lying as a religious policy. Throughout this research essay we will discuss facts in regards to traditional and modern Islamic ideology while deciding whether someone of such beliefs has a place in a position
There are several terrorist groups throughout the world today. All the terrorist groups have one common goal and that is to rid the world of Americans and western influence from the Muslim world. There is one organization that has ties to most of all the terrorist groups in the world and is the most infamous group in the world today and that is the group called Al-Qaeda The word Al-Qaeda means “the base” in Muslim. As an international terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden. The group seeks to rid Muslim countries of western influence and replace them with fundamentalist Islamic regimes. Al-Qaeda grew out of the of the ashes of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1988, after it helped expel the Soviet
“Al Qaeda offers a coherent world view that neatly packages the seeker’s frustrations with the struggles of Muslims across the globe.” To what extent does the statement capture the root cause of why potential recruits join terrorism organisations like Al Qaeda? The statement is correct to a great extent when taking into consideration the history of the struggle of Muslims across the globe. The struggle of Muslims across the globe has mainly involved their religion – Islam.
Acts of terrorism are typically political oriented and ideologically motivated, ranging from specific goals expressed in terms of the might of political nation-states to more general purposes connected to the dilemma of certain people and groups. Therefore, terrorism can result from demands made by ethnic groups to receive representation in an existing political community or have its own state be formed, while terrorism can also be part of ideological fights for the acknowledgment of diminished expressions of ideas and ways of life. Because of the essentially political ideological objectives of terrorism, the fundamental ideas of terrorism are important to consider as the inspiring forces that fuel terrorist groups and individuals.
The following is a brief explanation of the motivation of the Islamic Jihad Group. Included is a response to how the knowledge of the Islamic Jihad Group’s motivation might assist in planning counter terrorist strategy. Included are explanations as to how the motivations of terrorists differ from the motivations of other violent criminals and how cultural, socioeconomic, or political factors could lead a person to become a terrorist or criminal.
The research assessment on various study reports identified the distinct phases of radicalization process, which include, pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination, and ‘Jihadization’ (Silber, M. D., & Bhatt, A., 2001). According to the research study, passing through the entire process sequence, makes an individual likely to get involved in implementation or planning of terrorist act. The researcher noted that Al-Qaeda has provided motivation for homegrown
The Global Jihad was materialized as the 21st century phenomenon, and its understanding by academics has been controversial. Two main features can be identified, the insurgent character of its strategy, and the transnational element of the organization. An insurgent movement is understood as
network which is consisted of Salafist jihadists and Islamic Extremists. It has been classified as a
One can scarcely turn on the television, or the radio, or open up a web browser without the mention of Islamic terrorism or unrest around the world. Though the United States and the rest of the world may not be engaged in a protracted religious war, for radical Muslim fundamentalist they are. Bernard Lewis brings to light possible reasons for the issues facing the world dealing with Islamic terrorism. The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror explains these issues in historical context as well as how some of the actions professed in the name of Islam and claim to
October 12, 2002 would become a decisive turning point for foreign and domestic politics in Indonesia. On that day, the lives of over two hundred and two people were claimed after three bombs were denoted simultaneously in Bali and one in Sulawesi. This act of violence was to become the most devastating act of terrorism on Indonesian soil. The Bali bombing can be viewed as the most devastating act of terrorism not only because the bombing was the first attack against the country, but also because the attack itself can be viewed within the typical framework of the ~{!.~}revolt against the West~{!/~} as Bellamy (2005) has argued.
The history of the Islamic world has been one of weak state institutions and state underperformance, coupled with a high prevalence of violence, both by the state and by individuals. A major reason for these negative trends has been the role of political Islam in privileging homogeneity over diversity, in stifling dissent in public and private life, and the societal stagnation that follows such rigid controls. Malaysia and Indonesia have been notable exceptions to the underperformance of Islamic cultures.
Key factors in weakening violent Islamist groups in Southeast Asia have been: the generally moderate nature of Islam in Southeast Asia; a relatively high level of economic development; the existence of democratic political systems in many affected countries; the miscalculation of JI’s radical wing in killing Muslim civilians in their bomb attacks; and the ability of most national governments to marshal the resources and public support to root out the most violent groups. One possible exception to these observations is the southern