From Bin Laden to NII

Eventually Osama episode has been over, we have seen mixed reaction across the world praising the successful operation done by US SEAL in one of Pakistan territory in Abbottabad, which just one and half an hour drive from the capital city of Islamabad.


Within US perspective this operation means lots for Obama’s Administrations, at least he and his team has fulfilled one of his promise during his presidential campaign. Despite domestic issue on the rising price of gasoline and also the rising percentage of unemployment rate, this event has eventually direct the public attention from domestic issue and somehow rising Obama’s popularity among American society and as positive support as he embarks for his re-election campaign.



In contrast for Pakistan, the military operation done by US SEALs within Pakistani territory was a hard slap and total embarrassment for the Pakistani government, which is now Pakistani government should responsible to answer the question from their own people as well as any possible horizontal reactions within Pakistani people who supporting Al Qaeda. Series of Wikileaks cable which has been published by local media proved how Pakistani government always deny that Osama Bin Laden take shelter in Pakistani territory, and one of well known editorial local media even published that the act of government was a trade off in order to prolong the US aid’s flows to Pakistan.


As for Al Qaeda, the demise of Osama would not affecting his ideological influence within the radical element of the Muslim world in general, which is no doubt various radical movement groups across the globe has been inspired by his thought even if they were not within the linkage of Al Qaeda network. Osama Bin Laden, however leaves unaccomplished task, namely establishing his form of rule in the Muslim Ummah, which violence as a means of achieving the objective, was considered normal. The central message that Osama brought to his followers was a rejection of reform within the existing political structure. Instead, he advocated radical change and legitimates the use of force to bring about Islamic law within Muslim society.


Followed by the demise of Osama, OIC on its press release has made a clear statement on the condemnation on any act of terrorism and all form of its manifestation, and further declares terrorism is against the teachings of Islam and is considered as one of the most serious crime for which Islam has set most severe sanctions.


Indonesia as one of the Muslim majority nation states, no doubt has been face by the challenge of series attacks within its territory in the name of religious radicalization. The recent bomb on congressional Jumat prayer, series foiled bomb attempt was only few illustration that the radical element of some religious groups has been existed among us if not within our plural society which subsequently threaten our national integrity as one republic.


Meanwhile recent issue on NII (Indonesian Islamic State) has come to fore and need vigilant attention from the police apparatus to prove its serious effort to prevent any possible violence which will spread fear among our society and to prove that our nation is not the safe heaven for the breeding ground of any terrorist activities or terrorist groups. Obviously, the military operation within Pakistani territory by the US SEALs would no expected to happen in Indonesia if our police apparatus can proved its capabilities to undergo their duty vigilantly, therefore there should be assurance from our government as well as our elite politician to stand together against any groups with radical element.


Now with the widening spread of NII network seems started catching our government’s attentions, particularly following many reports from the NII members’ relatives and those who start losing sympathy and return to normal live. The NII crisis centre has been doing a lot of compilations on the testimonies from its former member and hope our state apparatus should be more alert and more vigilant with the present threat, it they sincere enough to keep our national integrity. At the other hand, new direction of policies should be made to implant the feeling of state consciousness, particularly among the youth which  gradually start eroding, as this contribute one factor why the recruitment process of new member of NII become much more easy.


Indonesia came to being was not on the basis of Islamic ideology but rather it was a process of acceptance to live together in diversity under one republic, even the independence committees at that time was majority from Muslim but they were opting to minimized the threat of disintegration if they opt for an Islamic state, thus, the debate on whether Indonesia become Islamic state of not was finally closed by the declaration of independence by Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia at that time. But even then, the five pillars of Pancasila was inspired by the norms which are commonly according to the values of Islamic code of life, and those five pillars of Pancasila bound our national integrity as one nation state. Thus, the idea of national pride as well as national ideology should be well understood by the common people, particularly among the youth, which are became the target of new recruit’s members.


For Now, with police apparatus along with its defense and intelligence agencies to carry on their investigation on the surface, at the ideological level, the sustainability of ideological neutralization should also be guaranteed, because ideological change obviously could not be done overnight, but more than a decade but might be generation. NII movement as commonly knows was the continuation of DI/TII movement led by Kartosuwiryo. Like Bin Laden, even if the physical icon has been vanished but the ideology remain and by this, various segment of social movement, be it educational institutions, religious foundations like NU and Muhammadiyah, NGO’s, medias, along with society as whole to build a common mainstream on the rejection of any religious radicalization that lead into the act of violence or threatening our national ideology and our national integrity.


As posted at http://imo.thejakartapost.com/kamilia/2011/05/07/from-bin-laden-to-nii/