THE FACES OF ISLAM ‘DEFENDERS’ Religion Radicalism and Its Implications on Assurance of Religious/Belief Freedom in Jabodetabek and West Java Editor: Ismail Hasani Bonar Tigor Naipospos The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ Religion Radicalism and Its Implications on Assurance of Religious/Beliefs Freedom in Jabodetabek and West Java December, 2010 150 mm x 210 vi+212 pages ISBN: 978-602-99042-0-8 COMPILER SETARA Institute team EDITOR Ismail Hasani & Bonar Tigor Naipospos DESIGN Titikoma-Jakarta (021-95254570) PUBLISHER Pustaka Masyarakat Setara The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ PREFACE SETARA Institute is an organization which was established by 28 individuals whose goal is to realize equal community. One of its concerns is to actively ensure abolishment of religions/beliefs intolerance and discrimination in Indonesia. Religious/beliefs freedom is national fundamental right that is recognized by the constitution of the Republic of Indonesia as well as by International Convention of Political and Civil Rights that has been ratiied by Indonesia on Ordinance No. 12 the Year 2005. As human rights and constitutional rights, religions/beliefs freedom holds the government to account of ensuring the freedom and of punishing whoever tries to violate the freedom. The nation’s success level on ensuring the freedom is measured on two ways. Firstly, the government has to retain them selves from taking any measures that can aggravate individual’s or group’s rights execution (abstain). Thus, this mandatory principle is negative obligation. Secondly, the government protects human rights from any threats or actions by non-state organization. This is positive obligation. Discriminated parties, religious minority in particular, require the government to carry out this obligation. In general, the government has to assure that these rights are not violated by third parties. However, the Indonesian government practically intervene religious matters. On the contrary, the government helplessly fails to present them selves at bringing those who are responsible of intolerance, discrimination, and violence to court. In addition, iii The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ through any legal products, the government sponsors the act of intolerance and discrimination instead. The government also keeps neglecting any act of violence on minority’s freedom of religion. The most obvious act of neglect is when the government keeps on giving impunity to radical Islamic organizations although it is clear that they involve in many violence cases. Not only does the government ignore the situation, but it constantly accommodates these organizations politicalwise. SETARA Institute has done a research on religious radicalism in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) and West Java in order to reveal the faces of radical Islamic organizations that according to reports on condition of religion freedom or the research itself often violate the freedom of religion of other community. By knowing these radical Islamic organizations, we hope that a number of actions can be taken by the government to eradicate religious intolerance and discrimination. Upholding the law against those who commit violence, intolerance and discrimination as well as de-radicalizing perspective, attitude and religious orientation through political and economic channels are the main recommendation of this research. Finally, SETARA wishes this report research be used as a reference by parties of interest to realize equal community. Jakarta, 22 February 2011 iv The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ Contents PREFACE - iii CONTENTS - v CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION - 1 A. Background - 1 B. Objective - 5 C. Methodology - 5 D. Conceptual Framework - 9 E. Operational Deinition - 19 CHAPTER II A GENEALOGY OF RADICAL ISLAM IN INDONESIA - 27 A. Genealogy of Radical Islam - 30 B. Masyumi and Darul Islam - 32 C. From DDII to Transnational Islam and Local Radical Islam -35 D. The Emergence of the Islamic Radicalization - 39 E. The Islamic Radicalization Context in Jakarta and West Java - 47 CHAPTER III A PORTRAIT OF RADICALISM IN THE CITIES - 53 A. Tolerance vs Intolerance - 56 B. Conlict and Violence - 66 C. Pancasila - 73 D. Terrorism - 75 E. Secularism vs Islamic Law (Syariah) - 76 F. Democracy vs Khilafah - 79 v The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ CHAPTER IV DIFFERENT FACES ONE VISION - 83 A. The Actors - 87 B. Mass Base - 95 C. Recruitments of Members - 96 D. FUNDS - 98 F. Action Agenda - 103 G. Tactic and Strategy - 110 H. The Dynamics of Separation - 120 CHAPTER V THE FACES OF THE ISLAM ‘DEFENDERS’ - 123 A. FUI (Islamic People’s Forum) - 123 B. Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) - 133 C. GARIS (Islamic Reformist Movement) - 143 D. FAPB (Bekasi Anti Apostasy Front) - 150 E. FUI (Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyah/ Islamic Fraternity Forum) Cirebon - 157 F. Tholiban - 165 CHAPTER VI FOR FREEDOM OF RELIGION/BELIEF - 173 A. Passive Intolerance - 173 B. Layers of Triggering Factor - 175 C. Different Faces One Vision - 178 D. Implications and the Future - 180 E. Further Steps by the State - 195 BIBLIOGRAPHY - 199 vi The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background The freedom of religion/belief in Indonesia within the last three years, 2007-2009, is still worrying. SETARA Institute recorded that in 2007, there were 185 types of actions in 135 incidents of violation against the freedom of religion/belief; in 2008 there were 367 actions in 265 incidents, and in 2009 there were 291 actions in 200 incidents. The violence act against the freedom of religion/ belief is mostly related with the radical Islamic organizations and involving government authority. Social tension and the most serious action of violation against the freedom of religion/belief relates to worship place of minority religion group, criminalization of Ahmadiyah sects belief, hate speech, including statement from government oficials/public igure that condones the brutality; SETARA Institute classiied these violation in intolerance category. The groups that being targeted of persecution and suffer from the most serious violence act are the Christians and Ahmadiyah sect. This disturbing portray occurs during the last three years shows an escalating intolerance and that the government has failed in protecting the freedom of their citizen based on the constitution. Parallel with the intensity of violation against the freedom of religion/belief, the radical Islamic organizations seems getting more aggressive in provoking the intolerance opinion and practice among community by carrying the issue of heretical sect, anti- 1 The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ immoral, anti-apostasy/Christianization and enforcement of Islamic Law (Syariah). The issues raised are also expanding. The western countries, especially United States and neo-liberal economic system also becomes the target labeled as kaϔir (inidel). The issues are capitalized as a means to gain support from community and campaigned as (a way) to “protecting the community”. Several recent incidents clearly indicated the force link between the activities of some radical Islamic organizations with the persecution and violence incidents in the name of religion, morality and social order. The SETARA Institute report shows that most of violations occurred within Jakarta and its suburban areas, such as: Bekasi, Tangerang, Depok, and Bogor and also in West Java areas in general. The radical Islamic organizations arise and grow in those areas where it becomes the main ‘preach’ zone. In West Java, the organizations grow and expand in Tasikmalaya, Garut, Cianjur and Cirebon. The urban and suburban areas have become the main operation arena of these movements. Meanwhile, the government has not yet serious in proceeding against the perpetrators as well as in showing a comprehensive measure in pursuance of seizing violent act in the name of religion, intolerance and discrimination against religion/belief. Government responses are limited to sporadic and instant reaction. In certain matters, the government is even actively promoting intolerance and discrimination which often worsening the situation instead of creating piece in inter – religion life. This constellation is recently inluence the condition of the freedom of religion in Indonesia. The appearance phenomenon of various radical Islamic movements is not only in the suburban areas of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi (Jabodetabek) and West Java, but in some other regions in Indonesia as well. For several last years, the development of radical Islamic organization has consumed so much attention from academician, either from the Country or abroad academician as well. Generally, various studies and scientiic activities organized is aimed in the effort to disclose the history, ideology background, the growth, movement pattern, organizational structure, network 2 The Faces of ISLAM ‘Defenders’ map and prospect of radical Islamic movement in Indonesia. Even though this is not a new thing, the study concerning the radical Islam grows massively after the September 11 2001 event, when the World Trade Center (WTC) twin tower in United States was bombarded by the terrorist. Different study and deepening study on the roles of terrorism network has become subject of studies in various forums. In Indonesia, these studies were rapidly growing after the event of Bali bombing on October 12 2002. Even though many of people doubted it, various assaults, arrests, and legal proceeding of terrorism network members has proved that the actors of terrorism were those who associated in the