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The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia: From Darul Islam to Jema'ah Islamiyah
Indonesia’s current terrorist problems have a long and complex history, and this work, based on a remarkable array of sources, many of which have never been publicly cited, is a rigorous account that fills in many gaps in our knowledge of jihadist groups, how they interacted with the state and events abroad, and why they at times resorted to extreme violence. Dave McRae’s translation offers a complete account of the development of jihadism from the earliest years of Indonesian independence to the terrorist bombings of the past decade, for an English audience.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 21, 2021
Secara garis besar, buku ini berupa pemaparan kronologis dan faktual tentang sejarah gerakan Islam subversif, khususnya di Indonesia. Ditulis oleh Pak Solahudin, jurnalis dan peneliti kawakan, pertanyaan-pertanyaan umum terkait golongan fundamentalis radikal dikupas secara runut. Seperti, dari mana asal muasal mereka? Apa yang menyebabkan mereka begitu bernafsu menumpahkan darah atas nama agama? Bagaimana cara mereka mengorganisir diri di tengah gejolak politik nasional maupun internasional?
Setelah bab pembuka yang dengan efektif menerangkan tentang faham salafy (ideologi yang berakar pada kepercayaan untuk menjalankan Islam secara 'murni', termasuk dalam penafsiran jihad) dan sejarah internasionalnya, penulis pun menyempitkan fokus ke Indonesia. Mulai dari Darul Islam pimpinan Kartosoewiryo pasca-kemerdekaan, melalui berbagai pergantian identitas sepanjang Orde Baru yang penuh gejolak, hingga berkulminasi pada Jamaah Islamiyah yang bertanggung jawab atas pengeboman di Bali tahun 2002. Dalam perjalanannya, diuraikan proses evolusi ideologis dan struktural mereka, termasuk pola konsolidasi membangun kekuatan, pengaruh politik nasional maupun internasional, dan pemikiran di balik sejumlah justifikasi untuk merampok, membunuh, dan menyebar teror.
Penuturannya seimbang dari segi analisis dan narasi deskriptif, serta mampu menghindar dari nuansa terlalu menghakimi; sebagaimana dikatakan Greg Fealy, profesor ilmu politik Indonesia, dalam ulasannya tentang buku ini. Memang masih ada kesenjangan penjelasan/analisis psikologis (misal tentang bagaimana tokoh-tokoh moderat berpendidikan bisa beralih jadi ekstremis), tetapi sudah banyak pencerahan yang diberikan berdasarkan hasil riset mendalam dan wawancara dengan tokoh-tokoh yang terlibat langsung dalam organisasi. Walau cakupannya hanya sampai tahun 2002 (yang berarti rentetan aksi teror sesudahnya seperti Bom Bali II dan ancaman ISIS tidak terbahas di sini), sudah ada fondasi kuat dalam memahami filosofi dasar dan konteks sejarah tentang topik ini.
Bagi saya pribadi, cukup meresahkan membaca rincian tentang hal-hal yang sebelumnya hanya saya ketahui permukaannya saja, dan membayangkan bagaimana gerakan ekstremis bawah tanah akan terus berevolusi dan berlanjut (entah sampai kapan juga golongan minoritas di negeri ini akan selalu memendam rasa takut saat beribadah atau sekedar bertutur kata). Namun, ada pencerahan juga bahwa orang-orang yang terkesan bak momok menakutkan ini juga hanyalah manusia biasa yang rentan drama politik internal, melakukan kesalahan yang mencelakakan diri sendiri, dan tercerai berai saat berhadapan dengan solidaritas dan toleransi bersama.
Setelah bab pembuka yang dengan efektif menerangkan tentang faham salafy (ideologi yang berakar pada kepercayaan untuk menjalankan Islam secara 'murni', termasuk dalam penafsiran jihad) dan sejarah internasionalnya, penulis pun menyempitkan fokus ke Indonesia. Mulai dari Darul Islam pimpinan Kartosoewiryo pasca-kemerdekaan, melalui berbagai pergantian identitas sepanjang Orde Baru yang penuh gejolak, hingga berkulminasi pada Jamaah Islamiyah yang bertanggung jawab atas pengeboman di Bali tahun 2002. Dalam perjalanannya, diuraikan proses evolusi ideologis dan struktural mereka, termasuk pola konsolidasi membangun kekuatan, pengaruh politik nasional maupun internasional, dan pemikiran di balik sejumlah justifikasi untuk merampok, membunuh, dan menyebar teror.
Penuturannya seimbang dari segi analisis dan narasi deskriptif, serta mampu menghindar dari nuansa terlalu menghakimi; sebagaimana dikatakan Greg Fealy, profesor ilmu politik Indonesia, dalam ulasannya tentang buku ini. Memang masih ada kesenjangan penjelasan/analisis psikologis (misal tentang bagaimana tokoh-tokoh moderat berpendidikan bisa beralih jadi ekstremis), tetapi sudah banyak pencerahan yang diberikan berdasarkan hasil riset mendalam dan wawancara dengan tokoh-tokoh yang terlibat langsung dalam organisasi. Walau cakupannya hanya sampai tahun 2002 (yang berarti rentetan aksi teror sesudahnya seperti Bom Bali II dan ancaman ISIS tidak terbahas di sini), sudah ada fondasi kuat dalam memahami filosofi dasar dan konteks sejarah tentang topik ini.
Bagi saya pribadi, cukup meresahkan membaca rincian tentang hal-hal yang sebelumnya hanya saya ketahui permukaannya saja, dan membayangkan bagaimana gerakan ekstremis bawah tanah akan terus berevolusi dan berlanjut (entah sampai kapan juga golongan minoritas di negeri ini akan selalu memendam rasa takut saat beribadah atau sekedar bertutur kata). Namun, ada pencerahan juga bahwa orang-orang yang terkesan bak momok menakutkan ini juga hanyalah manusia biasa yang rentan drama politik internal, melakukan kesalahan yang mencelakakan diri sendiri, dan tercerai berai saat berhadapan dengan solidaritas dan toleransi bersama.
August 3, 2018
Buku ini membahas lengkap perjalanan gerakan yang ingin mendirikan negara Islam di RI. Lengkap dengan metode-metode yang digunakan untuk merekrut anggota. Sangat wajib dibaca oleh kalangan siswa dan mahasiswa yang rentan terseret masuk ke dalam kelompok ini.
May 20, 2024
What a banger. I bought this book with the hope of understanding the intricacies of Salafi Jihadism ideology in Indonesia. To my surprise, I gained so much more that was incredibly interesting about the history of Islamist terror actions in Indonesia. It is rigorously researched with a journalistic approach that is not at all boring to read. Some details are very intriguing, such as the reason behind the bombing of a cinema in Medan, which stemmed from an Egyptian film considered blasphemous. Many details that seem trivial help piece together the puzzle of the evolution of jihadist ideology in Indonesia.
I disagree with much, if not all, of what the proponents of Salafi Jihadism stand for, but dismissing their ideology as just (another) radical extremist religious faction without basis is also wrong. Some of the fascistic foundational thoughts of Salafi Jihadism, explained in quite a detail in this book, are based on complex moral philosophy and the historiography of Islamic militarism, full of colonial history. What makes the narrative in this book interesting is seeing how the evolution of ideology within Islam progresses alongside the global understanding of Islam, yet the terror tactics remain the same. From traditionalist Islam bordering on Sufism, Qutbism, a touch of Khomeinism influenced by the Iranian revolution, to the hardcore fascistic form of Salafi Jihadism, they still use the same platforms and tactics of terror. Highly recommended!
I disagree with much, if not all, of what the proponents of Salafi Jihadism stand for, but dismissing their ideology as just (another) radical extremist religious faction without basis is also wrong. Some of the fascistic foundational thoughts of Salafi Jihadism, explained in quite a detail in this book, are based on complex moral philosophy and the historiography of Islamic militarism, full of colonial history. What makes the narrative in this book interesting is seeing how the evolution of ideology within Islam progresses alongside the global understanding of Islam, yet the terror tactics remain the same. From traditionalist Islam bordering on Sufism, Qutbism, a touch of Khomeinism influenced by the Iranian revolution, to the hardcore fascistic form of Salafi Jihadism, they still use the same platforms and tactics of terror. Highly recommended!
April 20, 2025
Solahudin’s The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia is a deeply researched and accessible account of the ideological and operational development of Islamic extremism in Indonesia, tracing its evolution from the early post-independence period through to the early 2000s, just before the first Bali bombing/Bali 1 (2002). It is widely regarded as the best single-volume primer on this subject, especially for readers seeking a grounded understanding of how jihadist movements took root in Southeast Asia’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
The book begins in the 1940s and 1950s, when the Darul Islam rebellion emerged with the aim of establishing an Islamic state. Solahudin carefully documents how this movement was suppressed militarily but continued to influence Islamist thought and networks in the decades that followed. Drawing from extensive archival material, interviews, and firsthand accounts, the author shows how veterans of Darul Islam laid the ideological and organizational groundwork for future extremist movements.
A major contribution of this book is its exploration of the transnational connections between Indonesian militants and the broader global jihadist movement. Solahudin explains how key figures, especially during the 1980s and 1990s, were shaped by their time in Afghanistan during the anti-Soviet jihad. It was during this period that the ideological seeds of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)—the group responsible for the Bali bombings—were sown. The author details how figures like Abu Bakar Ba’asyir and Abdullah Sungkar began forming new networks that would evolve into JI, emphasizing the importance of overseas training, theological justification for violence, and clandestine organization.
The book ends just before the Bali bombing, providing readers with a rich foundation on the formation and radicalization of jihadist groups in Indonesia without delving into the specifics of their later attacks. For those looking to pick up where Solahudin’s narrative leaves off, The Second Front by Ken Conboy is an excellent follow-up, offering a more detailed account of JI's operations, Hambali’s radicalisation, exploits and arrest in Thailand, and the group's integration with al-Qaeda’s global networks.
The book begins in the 1940s and 1950s, when the Darul Islam rebellion emerged with the aim of establishing an Islamic state. Solahudin carefully documents how this movement was suppressed militarily but continued to influence Islamist thought and networks in the decades that followed. Drawing from extensive archival material, interviews, and firsthand accounts, the author shows how veterans of Darul Islam laid the ideological and organizational groundwork for future extremist movements.
A major contribution of this book is its exploration of the transnational connections between Indonesian militants and the broader global jihadist movement. Solahudin explains how key figures, especially during the 1980s and 1990s, were shaped by their time in Afghanistan during the anti-Soviet jihad. It was during this period that the ideological seeds of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)—the group responsible for the Bali bombings—were sown. The author details how figures like Abu Bakar Ba’asyir and Abdullah Sungkar began forming new networks that would evolve into JI, emphasizing the importance of overseas training, theological justification for violence, and clandestine organization.
The book ends just before the Bali bombing, providing readers with a rich foundation on the formation and radicalization of jihadist groups in Indonesia without delving into the specifics of their later attacks. For those looking to pick up where Solahudin’s narrative leaves off, The Second Front by Ken Conboy is an excellent follow-up, offering a more detailed account of JI's operations, Hambali’s radicalisation, exploits and arrest in Thailand, and the group's integration with al-Qaeda’s global networks.
April 26, 2019
A very good and comprehensive book on terrorism in Indonesia. A must read for any Indonesian that wants to understand the big picture of very complicated issues. In the closing, the author mention that the radical ideology is still interesting for many Indonesian, I agree and this is one of the reasons why everybody needs to read this book.
June 20, 2021
Penulis memeberikan penjelasan sangat lengkap mengenai asal muasal gerakan terorisme di Indonesia. Gerakan ini dimulai dari Darul Islam sampe JAT yang mengalami berbagai dinamika internalnya Masing-masing. Buku ditulis dengan bahasa yang ringan dan sangat mudah dimengerti bagi awam.
June 15, 2018
rich, in-depth study; misleading title...
March 3, 2012
A well-researched, analytical and comprehensive, not to mention impartial, account of the history of jihad in Indonesia. Too bad there are typos and grammatical error in literally every other page. But an important book, nonetheless.
Link to review: http://www.sr-indonesia.com/this-mont...
Link to review: http://www.sr-indonesia.com/this-mont...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews