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Civis 002/2016
New Radicalization
Claiming acting on behalf of Islam, a group of terrorists stormed the University of Garissa, Kenya on April 2, 2015 then, killing more than 150 Christian students.
Boko Haram militants in Nigeria, which literally means “Western education is forbidden”, made Christians as their target, kidnapping and killing them, tearing down churches, as an effort to uphold their teachings and ‘purify’ ‘the community.
They argued that Western education culture, which is a reflection of Christianity, is the culprit of all moral decline and moral case.
In retaliation, Christian militants indiscriminately attack Muslims, regardless of whether they were involved or not.
On a broader scale, the ISIS was declared and took direct control of large parts of the Middle East region which is actually a Muslim majority, Sunni and/or Shiite. With the motto of enforcing pure religious doctrine, ISIS performed violence and destroyed old sites which they consider to be the remnants of the old belief that still affect people, and killing others from different streams or belief.
Christians in Syria, who existed long before Islam, the Yazidi who were successors to the religion of Zoroaster, and others became the main target of their violence.
Not long after, support for ISIS movement appeared in Indonesia, in the form of a march near Hotel-Indonesia junction in Jakarta, the allegiance in many places, and graffiti in public places. In fact, quite a lot of volunteers went to Syria and its surroundings as ISIS jihadists. They are, after returning to his homeland (potentially), become advocates and driving a similar movement.
Actually, if we think about it, if it is true that all the act of violence was purely done to uphold the teachings of religion, we have to realize that those acts contradicts the essence of every religion. No religion teaches violence and cruelty. Christian/Catholic teachings are based on love for fellow human beings. Islam teaches that Islam is a religion of rahmatan lil ‘alamin, a religion that brings blessings and prosperity for all of the entire universe, including animals, plants and the genie, let alone fellow humans. Similarly, Buddhist, Hindu, and so on.
The researchers concluded that in addition to a lack of understanding of religious teachings, it occured due to factors beyond the influence of religion, especially ego, thirst for power, historical grudges, inferiority complexes, and the like.
It is a new radicalization, the emergence of radical action that is more massive, more organized and transcend national boundaries, and this could also threaten us. (continued)
(This paper was presented by the writer in “Building Interfaith Collaboration in Overcoming Radicalism” session, in the Strategic Forum of Church and Politics, in Jakarta, June 2-4, 2015).
Drs. Jakob Tobing, MPA
President, Leimena Institute
Jakob Tobing is one of the most prominent architects of the new democratic Indonesia. He played an instrumental role in Indonesia’s transition from the authoritarian rule to democracy in 1998. He was then entrusted as the Chairman of the 1999 National Election Committee and the 1999-2004 Parliamentary Commission on the Constitutional Amendment – the two important bodies that decisively replaced authoritarianism with democracy in Indonesia. Under his leadership, the constitutional amendment has guaranteed the principles of democracy, rule of law, and human rights, which is now seen as a model by many other countries. He was a student leader against the old order in 1966, appointed as member of parliament in 1968, and became the Vice Chairman of the ruling party during the Suharto’s regime. But during the height of the authoritarian regime, he joined the opposition and was invited to join and establish the reform PDIP party by its Chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who later became the President of Indonesia. President Habibie decorated him with Mahaputera Utama medal in 1999. After more than three decades as a member of parliament, in 2004 he was appointed as the Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, a leadership role which again he performed so outstanding that the Republic of Korea awarded him the Gwanghwa medal—the country’s highest diplomatic award. He received his graduate degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA.