Moh. Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – Greg Barton, Professor of Global Islamic Politics at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization (ADI) in Melbourne, Australia, commented on the declaration of disbandment by terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah at the end of June, facilitated by the National Police's Special Anti-Terrorism Detachment 88 or Densus 88.
"This is a positive thing," he said when met at his office in Central Jakarta on August 19.
According to Barton, the dissolution of JI was not a sudden event, but a process that had been underway for 10 years. He said the group had been in a dilemma for a long time. Despite their strong belief that jihad can be waged from the Philippines to Afghanistan, they are finding it difficult to do so in Indonesia. In fact, in 2010, the JI leadership did not agree to conduct military training in Aceh.
In addition, he said, the organization also has dozens of affiliated Islamic boarding schools or pesantren with tens of thousands of students. He did not deny that radical and extreme books or curricula were taught in JI-affiliated Islamic boarding schools. However, he believed that there were still traditions of Islamic boarding schools and ulama that could be positive for JI, so they could still be improved.
"If many JI members are still getting arrested, it will be difficult. It is also possible that the [affiliated] pesantren will collapse," Barton said.
He went on to say that the dissolution of Jemaah Islamiyah was a productive compromise, not something that would be harmful in the future. It is also a way to avoid conflict.
However, he warned that splinter groups could emerge. "But at least for now the focus of Densus 88 has decreased, only splinter groups, or from other terrorist organizations," said the man who wrote biografi Gus Dur.
The potential for threats now that Jemaah Islamiyah has disbanded was also expressed by Densus 88 spokesman Sr. Comr. Aswin Siregar. However, he did not elaborate on the potential for splinter groups to emerge from the approximately 6,000 JI members who do not agree with the dissolution of the organization.
"Is there a possibility of splinters? There is. But we cannot predict or answer that," Aswin told Tempo at his office on Tuesday, August 13.
Densus 88, he said, will continue to carry out continuous assessments, controls and evaluations of JI members to ensure that they do not return to the values of the former organization. In addition, the counter-terrorism unit will also ensure that affiliated Islamic boarding schools are not exposed to terrorist doctrines.
"Densus 88 involves a team of experts and the Ministry of Religious Affairs to evaluate the curriculum in affiliated Islamic boarding schools," Aswin said.
The declaration of Jemaah Islamiyah's disbandment was held at Lorin Hotel in Sentul, Bogor on June 30, 2024, facilitated by the National Police's Special Anti-Terrorism Detachment 88 or Densus 88. The event was attended by former high-ranking leaders of the terrorist group, including its imprisoned former amirs or leaders Abu Rusydan and Para Wijayanto, bigwigs such as Aris Siswanto and Bambang Sukirno, as well as its former amir who has become a free man, Zarkasih.
On stage, Abu Rusydan read the six points of the dissolution declaration. " We declare the dissolution of Al-Jamaah Al-Islamiyah and our return to the fold of the unified nation of the Republic of Indonesia," he said, as quoted from the Tempo magazine's July 22-27, 2024 issue.
After the declaration, more than 100 administrators of JI-affiliated Islamic boarding schools from North Sumatra to West Nusa Tenggara sang the Indonesian anthem, as recorded in a video circulating on social media.
– Amelia Rahima Sari contributed to the writing of this article.