THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHREYER HONORS COLLEGE COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY THE THREAT OF MADRASSAS: AN EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH TERRORIST ATTACKS IN INDONESIA RENEE STEPLER SPRING 2011 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Security and Risk Analysis with honors in Security and Risk Analysis Reviewed and approved* by the following: Andrea Tapia Associate Professor Thesis Supervisor and Honors Adviser Donald Shemanski Professor of Practice Faculty Reader * Signatures are on file in the Schreyer Honors College ABSTRACT Policymakers in the United States and western world have accused some madrassas of radicalizing their students and encouraging jihad. Madrassas are schools that focus upon Islamic studies with the goal of training religious authorities. Many madrassas also include secular education in their curriculum. The 9/11 Commission Report recommends the increased attention of the United States to madrassas in Pakistan, warning that certain radical madrassas serve as „potential terrorist sanctuaries‟ and are „incubators for violent extremism‟. Since the 9/11 Commission Report, researchers have debated whether radical madrassas are prevalent enough to pose a threat to United States national security, and whether these schools have been instrumental in past large-scale terrorist attacks. Though madrassas in Pakistan are often the focus of this debate, the use of Islamic schools by Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group in Indonesia, demonstrates the dangers these radical institutions present for United States national security and international security. In order to capture the role radical Islamic schools played in Jemaah Islamiyah attacks, the educational backgrounds of 68 individuals involved in five terrorist attacks in Indonesia since 2002 were collected. These backgrounds were analyzed along with other connections, such as family ties, that the individuals had to other terrorists within the network. In three of these attacks, the Islamic schools played a significant role in completing and maintaining the network. The Jemaah Islamiyah networks illustrate that the security threats of radical madrassas lie in their ability to create relationships between like-minded individuals and to act as hubs for planning terrorist attacks. Therefore, even though radical madrassas are in the minority, it is evident that these schools present significant security implications for the western world. The United States has supported and promoted secular education in the Muslim world in order to combat the threat of radical madrassas. Islamic schools continue to play a significant role in the education systems for many countries including Pakistan and Indonesia. The United States must continue to support education in the Muslim world and must be vigilant of the operation of radical madrassas. i TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. i LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ....................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION TO MADRASSAS, TERRORISM, AND THEIR CONNECTION ............................ 1 What is Terrorism? .............................................................................................................................. 2 Madrassa Background ......................................................................................................................... 3 THE TIES BETWEEN MADRASSAS AND TERRORISM IN PAKISTAN ........................................... 6 The Current Impact of Madrassa Education in Pakistan ........................................................................ 6 Ties between Madrassas and Terrorism in Pakistan .............................................................................. 7 THE LINKS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND TERRORISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ......................... 11 Background on Pesantrens and Madrassas in Indonesia ...................................................................... 11 Current Role of Madrassas and Pesantrens in Indonesia‟s Education System ...................................... 12 Overview of Terrorism in Indonesia and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) ......................................................... 14 Background on Pondok Ngruki and Luqmanul Hakiem ...................................................................... 15 STUDIES OF SOCIAL FACTORS THAT LEAD TO TERRORISM .................................................... 18 Education .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Religious Fundamentalism ................................................................................................................. 22 Social Connections and Cultural Factors ............................................................................................ 24 METHODOLGY FOR ASSESSING PESANTRENS INFLUENCE ON TERRORISM IN INDONESIA .............................................................................................................................................................. 27 DATA FOR THE FIVE INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ATTACKS ................................................ 30 Bali Nightclub Bombing of 2002 ....................................................................................................... 30 Marriott Bombing of 2003 ................................................................................................................. 32 Australian Embassy Bombing of 2004 ............................................................................................... 33 Bali Bombings of 2005 ...................................................................................................................... 35 Jakarta Hotel Bombings of 2009 ........................................................................................................ 36 ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................... 38 School Connections & Student-Teacher Relationships ....................................................................... 38 Familial Connections ......................................................................................................................... 43 The Role of Religious Groups ............................................................................................................ 47 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 49 ii CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................ 51 APPENDIX A: BALI NIGHTCLUB BOMBING OF 2002 NETWORK DIAGRAM ............................ 59 APPENDIX B: MARRIOTT BOMBING OF 2003 NETWORK DIAGRAM......................................... 60 APPENDIX C: AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY BOMBING OF 2004 NETWORK DIAGRAM ................. 61 APPENDIX D: BALI BOMBINGS OF 2005 NETWORK DIAGRAM ................................................. 62 APPENDIX E: EDUCATION TIES BETWEEN ENTIRE SAMPLE .................................................... 63 iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Tables: Table 1: Education Backgrounds of Terrorists Involved in the Bali Bombing of 2002 Table 2: Education Backgrounds of Terrorists Involved in the Marriott Bombing of 2003 Table 3: Education Background of Terrorists Involved in the Australian Embassy Bombing of 2004 Table 4: Education Background of the Terrorists Involved in the Bali Bombings of 2005 Figures: Figure 1: Map of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Figure 2: Map of Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore Figure 3: Peer Relationship in the Bali Bombing of 2002 Figure 4: Peer-to-Peer Connections in the Marriott Bombing of 2003 Figure 5: University an-Nur Connections in the Australian Embassy Bombing of 2004 Figure 6: Student-Teacher and Peer Relationships in the Bali Bombing of 2005 Figure 7: Familial Ties in the Bali Bombing of 2002 Figure 8: Darul Islam and Familial Connections in the Australian Embassy Bombing of 2004 Figure 9: Father Recruits Son to Australian Embassy Bombing Through Afghan-Soviet War Connections iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is a pleasure to thank my thesis advisers, Andrea Tapia and Donald Shemanski, for dedicating their time and energy in making this thesis possible. This thesis would not be what it is today without their guidance, feedback, and suggestions. I want to thank Steven Sharer for providing extensive feedback and suggestions from the very beginning of the thesis writing process. The time and energy he spent on providing this feedback has greatly contributed to the quality of the work, which would not have been possible without his support. Lastly, I greatly appreciate the moral support of my parents, family, and friends. Their faith and support kept me going whenever I was overwhelmed. v INTRODUCTION TO MADRASSAS, TERRORISM, AND THEIR CONNECTION Madrassas are Islamic religious schools that concentrate on the Quran and other religious texts in order to preserve